And Fi Makes Three
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: Sequel to 'Family Ties'-Reccomend reading that first. Fiona Brendon has joined the Winchesters in the mission to stop the Apocolypse and Sam and Dean find that it's not like the old days. When the end starts, can the old bonds stay strong enough to win?-Image from GaterGirl79
1. Like Falling Off A Log

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, here it is! The sequel to 'Family Ties'. This is going to be slightly different from the first story because-with exception to the first chapter-the following chapters will be based on the canon episodes. But with the first chapter I just wanted Sam, Dean, and Fiona to ease into working together.

BACKGROUND: If you're reading this story without having read the story 'Family Ties', here's the basics-although I strongly suggest you read the other story first: Fiona Brendon is a retired USMC Gunnery Sergeant who has known Sam and Dean since they were kids. Fiona's father, James, was a hunter until he was killed by the demon, Lilith. James Brendon was also in the Marines with John Winchester and NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. (While there are references to the show NCIS, this story is not actually a crossover.)

SUPERNATURAL: And Fi Makes Three

* * *

><p>As a first case to allow Fiona to get back in the groove of hunting, Sam and Dean had decided to take a simpler job—dealing with a ghost who was haunting a local children's center.<p>

Driving towards Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Dean was grateful that they'd be able to stay with Bobby while they dealt with the ghost. Even though they had plenty of legitimate funds at the moment—thanks to Fiona—Dean felt it would be taking advantage of her to use her money right off the bat.

The Singer Salvage Yard was quiet as Dean pulled in and parked near the house, rousing Sam and Fi who had fallen asleep before getting out of the car and stretching.

"Oh…" Fiona groaned as she got out of the car and felt her knees pop. "God, that made me miss carrier flights." Stretching a bit, she shot a smile at Sam who gave her one in return.

Catching the exchange, Dean rolled his eyes. Pointing an accusatory finger, he said, "Hey, I'm not going to have to keep you two separated, am I?"

"Dean," Sam said, sounding exasperated. "Fi and I are adults. Okay? What we do is none of your business."

Rubbing his face with one hand, Dean inwardly groaned as he realized that Fi coming with them was going to bite him in the ass. But hearing a screen door opening, Dean looked up to see Bobby Singer coming towards them. "Bobby," Dean said, raising a hand in greeting.

Bobby gave Dean a nod but then he noticed Fiona and his eyes widened. "I don't believe it," he muttered as Fiona walked over and gave the old, grizzled hunter a hug. He hugged her back and grinned when she took a step back. "Damn. I don't remember the last time I saw you here."

Fiona wasn't sure what to say so she just shrugged. But suddenly, she remembered. "My 18th birthday."

"Yeah," Bobby said, thinking. "You and James got into it and you stormed out of the house. Hotwired one of the cars and took off." With a smile, he said, "Come on inside. I've got something for you."

Fiona looked at Sam and Dean but when the brothers merely shrugged, Fiona followed Bobby inside and into the library. After watching Bobby rummage around for a minute, Fiona was surprised when he handed her a small box. Opening the box, she laughed as she pulled out a pendant of a small blue and green hummingbird on a silver chain. "I love it." Looking up, she said, "Thanks, Bobby."

"You're welcome," Bobby replied, giving Fiona a smile.

Sensing an awkward moment, Fiona pocketed the necklace, reminding herself to swap it for her dog tags later, and asked, "So what about this ghost?"

Bobby let the three younger hunters to the kitchen and after they were all settled at the table with bottles of beer he dropped a file on the table. "Brookview Center for Children. Runs a day camp for kids 5 to 16 and lodging for kids without homes. Three of the kids and two of the staff have died from blunt force trauma."

"'Blunt force trauma' have a name?" Dean asked as he started to read through the file.

"Nothing I could find yet," Bobby replied, shaking his head. "But a friend of mine who works at the center there has been some stuff kept out of the papers."

"Then let's go," Fiona said, itching to get on the case.

"Whoa, whoa…" Dean insisted. "Easy, Fiver." When Fiona gave him a glare, he went on. "Look, maybe you've forgotten how this works, but we need to have a cover before we go in there."

"Dean, I'm not stupid," Fiona replied, rolling her eyes.

Putting his hands up in a gesture of truce, Dean said, "I'd never say you were." After a while, he looked over at Bobby and Sam. "How soon can we get ID for Fiver?"

"You really _do_ want me to kick your ass, don't you?" Fiona said, smacking the back of Dean's head.

"Give me about a day," Bobby said, quickly before he had Dean and Fiona fighting in his kitchen. "Meantime, why don't you guys get settled in and I'll quick cook somethin' up for you."

"Thanks, Bobby," Sam replied as his stomach gave an annoying growl. They'd stopped at a diner some hours earlier but Sam was still hungry. Looking across the table at Fiona, he tried to keep his expression neutral but his foot kept bumping hers.

Looking from his brother to Fiona, Dean again questioned the wisdom of Fiona joining them, especially when she and Sam seemed unable to take their eyes off one another. On the one hand, Dean was happy that at least it was Fiona and not Ruby who had been oddly absent lately.

But whenever Sam and Fi went out to the Impala alone, Dean had to fight the image of the two getting it on in the car's backseat.

When Fiona and Sam went to grab the bags Bobby raised an eyebrow at Dean who looked a bit uncomfortable. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dean insisted. But when he saw that the older hunter wasn't buying the line, he sighed. "It's Sam… and Fi."

Bobby's brow furrowed in confusion at that. "What about 'em?"

Dean ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "They're together, Bobby. Like '_together'_ together."

Still confused, Bobby shrugged, not sure where Dean was going with this. "So? They're adults, Dean."

Dean rubbed his face with one hand, not sure of how best to explain the situation as he saw it. "Look, Fi and I have always had this brother/sister thing, okay? So the idea of Sam and Fi…"

After a moment, Bobby finally understood and he nodded, knowingly. "Right," he muttered, frowning at the imagery now seared into his brain. Clearing his throat, Bobby tried to sound casual as he said, "Well, I mean it's not like Fiona and Sam are doing it while the three of you are sharing a hotel room, right?" But at Dean's look, the grizzled hunter sighed again. "Well, have you talked to them about it?"

"And say what, Bobby?" Dean asked, tiredly. "They're adults, right?"

At first, Bobby didn't say anything but as he thought about it, he finally said, "Look, if it's bothering you so much, I'm sure Sam and Fi wouldn't mind giving things a rest."

Dean was about to respond when a faint, distant noise made him go on alert. After a second or two of listening, his eyes widened as he shot up from his chair and raced for the door, Bobby on his heels. Stopping on the porch, Dean was seriously half-tempted to call Castiel down to burn his eyes out as he saw that the noise was coming from _inside_ the Impala.

Staggering slightly as he walked away from Bobby's house, Dean heard the other hunter call his name.

"I'm going for a walk," Dean insisted, making a mental note to practically scour the backseat before he sat back there again.

x

Fiona was panting hard as she moved so that she was on top of Sam. Bending her head down, she started at his chest, kissing every inch of skin up to his ears while running her fingers through his hair.

Beneath Fiona, Sam felt like his entire body was on fire and all he could think about was that he couldn't stop touching the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

xxxxxxx

Dean was nearly to town when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Out alone with night coming on," Ruby said, walking around Dean so that she was facing him. "I'm surprised, Dean… really."

"Ruby," Dean said, with obviously forced cheerfulness. "What can I do for you?"

"It's what I can do for you," Ruby replied, crossing her arms. "This case you're working…"

Frowning slightly, Dean wondered how Ruby knew about the haunting and said so.

"Look, I don't know much," Ruby admitted. "But what I _can_ tell you is that this all has something to do with an old, demolished orphanage not far from here."

"That's pretty vague, even for you," Dean said, doubtfully, as he wondered whether or not Ruby's intel was reliable.

But Ruby was insistent. "One of the staff members died last night while screwing her husband over and over. And all the rest of the victims have the same pattern of cuts and bruises."

Dean didn't say anything and after a while, he watched Ruby walk away towards town. But thinking about the latest victim, Dean felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he thought about Sam and Fiona's recent behavior. Turning back towards Bobby's house, Dean took off at a run, hoping he wasn't too late.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

A small part of Sam's brain said that he should be tiring out but he didn't feel it. He had to keep touching Fiona—he couldn't get enough of her.

With Sam on top of her, Fiona moaned with passion as she brought his head down to meet her lips. She was burning up inside but she just couldn't stop. Nothing else in the world mattered except—

And then suddenly the spell was broken as a gunshot split the quiet nightfall, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.

Sam shielded Fiona as the rear door windows of the Impala exploded, showering the two of them with shards of glass. Looking at Fi, Sam asked, breathlessly, "Are you okay?"

Fi nodded, although she was shaking slightly. "Yeah, I think so." Looking at Sam, she asked, "What the Hell was that?"

(POV shift)

When Dean got back to Bobby's, he inwardly winced when he saw the Impala rocking ever so slightly. "Sam! Fi!" He tried shouting again, but there was no sign that the actions inside were ceasing. Going over to the car, he tried not to look inside as he rapped loudly on the car's roof.

Nothing.

Sam and Fiona continued their passion with increasing volume and Dean couldn't think of any other way to snap them out of it except…

As Dean backed away from the car and withdrew the Colt 1911 that he favored, he gave the Impala an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry about this, baby," he said as he raised the gun and—making sure he wouldn't inadvertently shoot his brother or Fi—fired one shot at the windows.

After a while, he saw Sam and Fi sitting up and when he saw them looking in his direction, he tucked his gun back into the waistband of his jeans and started towards the car, looking away as he saw the two hastily try and redress.

x

An hour later, after drinks all around and a pile of sandwiches courtesy of Bobby, Dean gave the others Ruby's information.

While Sam brought out his laptop and started working on background, Dean also noticed that Fiona had moved from sitting next to Sam to standing by the kitchen counter. "You okay?" Dean asked, noticing the look on Fi's face.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Fiona said, sincerely. "I honestly don't know what came over me."

"We might have an idea," Bobby offered from where he was looking over Sam's shoulder. When Dean and Fiona joined him, Bobby went on, reading the website page Sam had brought up. "1927, the Brookview Orphanage was built about 10 miles from the current center."

"The orphanage was demolished 15 years ago when the new center was built," Sam added. "A lot of the old staff moved to the new location."

"Okay, so where was this orphanage?" Dean asked, scanning through the report.

"We stopped there already, actually," Sam replied, looking up at his brother. "Nolan Family Diner?"

"Oh, God!" Fiona exclaimed, a hand flying to her mouth. Catching the looks from the guys, her face took on a mortified look as she slowly lowered her hand and said, "Sam and I were—"

"Yeah, don't… don't finish that sentence," Dean implored, not wanting to think about Sam and Fi might have been doing in the bathroom of the diner.

Clearing his throat, Sam went on about the case. "There were only two deaths at the orphanage. Frank Garrett, one of the male staff members was having a sexual relationship with Jenny Hoffman, one of the teenage girls who lived there. Jenny threatened to go to the authorities and Frank beat her to death before going home and later died after his _wife_ beat the crap out of him."

It took Sam a moment to get into the coroner's reports on the current murders and after printing everything out, they compared the injuries to those of Frank Garrett and Jenny Hoffman, Fiona noticed something. "The kids have the same bruises as Jenny and the men have the same injuries as Frank."

"Yeah, and take a look at this," Dean added, looking at the dates of the murders. "Our murders took place in roughly the same timeline as the originals." Looking at the others, he said, "I think we're going to have to split up."

"Well, I'll take the coroner," Fiona offered. "I recognize the name. She's a friend of Ducky's." Catching the puzzled glance from Bobby, she added, "Ducky is the medical examiner at NCIS."

"I'll talk to Frank's wife," Dean offered. "She just got out of jail. Maybe she can tell us what happened to Frank and Jenny's bodies."

"Sam and I can check out the center," Bobby added. "Start first thing in the morning?"

"Sounds good," Fiona said, unable to fend off a loud yawn.

"Guest rooms are upstairs," Bobby said, nodding at the stairs.

"Hell, right now I could just take the floor," Fiona said, the weariness from her extra-heavy bout of passion with Sam catching up to her.

"Well, how about you take the couch?" Bobby suggested, thinking that it might be best for Fi and Sam to have some time apart. As he watched Sam, Fiona, and Dean go to their respective beds, Bobby started to clean up before going outside and making sure the Impala was covered in case there was rain later. He had some windows which would fit the car and since he wasn't as tired at the others, he decided to work on the windows and cleaning up the glass littering the backseat.

xxxxxxxxxx

Dean didn't sleep much that night. After a couple hours, he crept downstairs and found Bobby in the library looking at his computer. "What're you doing up?" Dean asked after checking the time on his watch. Only 3am? It felt later somehow.

"Finished putting in the new windows for you," Bobby replied, pouring himself and Dean a glass of whiskey. "How're you doing, Dean?"

Dean shrugged as he sat down, throwing back his drink in one go. "I'm here, Bobby."

"Yeah," Bobby muttered, refilling Dean's glass. Glancing in the direction of the living room where Fiona was still sound asleep on the couch, he added, "You know the night Fiona left to join the Marines was the first time I ever heard Sam talk about college?"

"You're kidding," Dean said, surprised. Sammy had only been 10 years old then.

Bobby smiled as he reminisced. "I remember Sam watching Fiona leaving and he looked at your dad and said, 'If Fiona gets to join the Marines, does that mean I can leave for college when I grow up?'."

It was strange that Dean had forgotten that because he now remembered that night as the first real fight between Dad and Sam. But maybe he shouldn't have been surprised since being around Fi again was bringing all sorts of memories back to the surface. When he caught a questioning look from Bobby, Dean just shrugged. "Just old memories, Bobby."

Bobby nodded in understanding and after a while, he finished his drink and said, "I'm going to try and catch some shut-eye. You should try and do the same."

But Dean didn't reply and when Bobby left the room, he finished his drink and poured himself another.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Fiona headed over to the local hospital and headed down to the basement and to the office of Dr. Sydney Harper. Opening the door, she found an older woman with graying blonde woman sitting at a desk who looked up at her, frowning slightly. "Can I help you?"<p>

"Dr. Harper?" Fiona said as she entered the room tentatively.

"That's what it says on the door," Dr. Harper said, a bit gruffly. "And who, may I ask, are you?"

Fiona held out a hand as she said, "Gunnery Sergeant Fiona Brendon. I'm a friend of Dr. Donald Mallard. He said to look you up if I was ever in town."

There was a look of recognition in Harper's eyes as she shook Fi's hand and the coroner leaned back in her chair and asked, "How is Ducky?" Gesturing to the chair on the other side of the desk, she added, "Please."

"He's good," Fiona replied with a smile. "Still working with NCIS."

Harper nodded, thoughtfully. "So what brings you here? Ducky wouldn't have just randomly told you to stop by without a reason."

Hands up in a 'you got me' position, Fiona smiled and replied, "I heard about the murders at the Brookview Center."

Harper shook her head as she sighed. "A damn shame. Weird as hell, too. Like a damn ghost story."

Leaning forward slightly, Fiona raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Harper leaned forward and studied Fiona. "You're not a cop or federal agent, right?"

"No," Fiona assured her. With a small smirk, she added, "But I've seen a few ghosts in my time."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meeting up at a café near the center, Dean waited until they had all ordered before saying in a low voice, "Well, Jody Garrett told me her husband was dumped in an old boneyard outside of town. Jenny was buried in a cemetery nearby. Looks like your classic salt and burn."

"I don't think so," Sam argued, pulling out the small notebook he'd used for talking to the witnesses and flipping to a page. "According to the people Bobby and I spoke to, it looks like Jenny thought that Frank was her ticket out of the orphanage. But when Frank refused to leave his wife, Jenny went postal on him."

"Wait, so Frank bit it first?" Dean asked, confused. "Then who killed Jenny?"

"Jenny beat up Frank," Bobby explained. "And then Jody shoved her husband down the stairs when she found out he was involved with a 14-year-old-girl. Police didn't find Jenny's body until a week later because Frank had buried her out in the woods nearby."

"But the plan is still to salt and burn the bodies, right?" Fiona asked, looking at Bobby, Sam, and Dean.

"Yeah," Bobby agreed. Looking at Fi, he said, "You and I will take Jenny. Sam and Dean can torch Frank."

"Uh…" Dean said, hesitantly. "Why don't Fi and I take the kid, Bobby, and you and Sammy can roast the perv?"

Bobby and Dean exchanged a look and Bobby nodded as he understood what Dean was up to. "Sure. No problem."

* * *

><p>It was nearing 1am as Fiona and Dean found Jennifer Hoffman's grave and started to dig. About halfway through the digging, Dean swapped places with Fi, holding the flashlight while she took over digging. "Dean, I'm sorry," Fiona said, pausing to look at him.<p>

"Sorry for what?" Dean asked, just a hair confused.

"Well, obviously—" she said, resuming her digging. "—you're uncomfortable around Sam because I'm sleeping with him."

"Fi, you're like my sister," Dean explained. "So, yeah. Hearing how you and Sam are knocking boots at night—especially when we all sleep in the same hotel room."

Fiona stopped digging again and turned to face Dean. "You were at the bar, Dean. Sam and I thought we had all night."

x

"—and honestly, Bobby, Dean should just be grateful I'm not shacking up with Ruby every night," Sam argued as he finished digging up Frank's body. He'd just climbed out of the grave when threw him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Rolling onto his back, Sam was shocked to see a 15-year-old girl standing over him.

"Sam!" Bobby shouted, raising his sawed-off shotgun and firing rock salt at the ghost.

But Jenny blinked out just before the salt hit and reappeared next to Bobby, knocking him to the ground before going back to Sam and starting to beat on him, violently. By the time Bobby had grabbed the shotgun, the ghost had thrown Sam into the grave.

Managing to get another shot off, Bobby breathed a small sigh of relief when the rock salt found its target. "Sam, you okay?" But there was no response from the younger hunter. "Sam?" Going to the grave, Bobby carefully hopped in and shook Sam's shoulder. 'Sam. Come on, wake up, son."

But Sam was out cold, although Bobby did, thankfully, find a steady pulse. "Balls!" Bobby muttered under his breath as he tried to get Sam out of the grave.

x

Frank Garrett's remains had already been salted and Dean had doused them liberally with lighter fluid, but as Fiona flicked her lighter she was sent flying through the air, landing in a crumpled heap next to a headstone.

"Fi!" Dean shouted, dodging a blow from the ghost of Frank Garrett. Grabbing his sawed-off, Dean managed to get a shot off before the ghost knocked him down.

"Dean!" Fiona shouted, hoarsely. When she saw Dean turn to her, she lobbed the lighter to him.

Dean managed to catch it and with a quick flick, chucked it into the grave, watching the flames consume what was left of Jenny Hoffman. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Sam's number but when it picked up, Dean was surprised to hear Bobby's voice. "Bobby, what are you doing with Sam's phone?"

"Sam's out," Bobby said, quickly. "Managed to torch Frank's bones but Sam's out cold. I'm gonna try and get him to the ER."

Dean nodded as he went over to Fiona who was holding her side with one arm. "Yeah, Fi and I are probably going to head that way, too." After hanging up, Dean helped Fiona back to the Impala and into the passenger seat. As they started down the road towards the hospital, he said, "Just like old times, huh?"

"Shut up, Bigwig," Fiona said, shortly as the pain in her ribs started getting worse.

* * *

><p>When Sam woke up in the hospital the following evening, he was surprised to see Fiona lying in the bed across from his. Groaning, he asked, "What happened to you?"<p>

"Broken ribs, nicked lung, dislocated shoulder," Fiona replied, shrugging her good shoulder. "Nothing new. What about you, Sammy?'

Slowly sitting up which was especially painful given his broken wrist, Sam sighed. "Concussion, broken wrist, bruised ribs. The usual."

Both of them laughed, moaning with pain as they did so. "So how's it feel to be back at it?" Sam asked, curiously. "Not exactly like riding a bike, huh?"

"In this job it's more like falling off a log," Fiona replied with a slight shoulder shrug.


	2. I've Created A Monster

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is just a bit of fluff I've had in my head for a while and I decided to tack it into this story. Next chapter will be moving into the meat of the story.

BTW—There's one small crude comment Fiona makes, but other than that, this is probably a pretty clean chapter, considering.

Chapter 2

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><p>Once Sam and Fiona were out of the hospital, Dean had wanted them to stay at Bobby's for a while to recover, but Fiona insisted that they get back on the road. She'd always felt better if she had something to do and even though right now she'd probably be limited to research because of her right shoulder, that was fine with her.<p>

When they finally reached a small town in Texas, Dean pulled into the parking lot of the Cactus Cougar Motel and parked, looking over at Sam who was sound asleep in the passenger seat.

"He's practically begging us to mess with him," Fiona observed, looking at Sam with mischief in her eyes.

"Yeah, but they gave him the good drugs when we left the hospital," Dean replied, sounding disappointed. "He'd be too loopy to remember."

"That's why they created camera phones," Fi said, cheerfully, digging hers out. After Dean messed with Sam a bit and Fi snapped a few pictures, she leaned over the back of the seat and shouted, "Sam, wake up!"

Sam jumped up, looking around wildly as if they were being attacked. But noticing that it was just Dean and Fiona, he groaned. "Very funny," he muttered as he got out of the car.

"Sorry, Sammy Baby," Fiona said, sweetly, enjoying Dean pretending to throw up. Once they were out of the Impala and in the hotel room, Fi dropped her duffle on one of the beds and sat down, carefully easing her arm out of the sling she'd been forced to wear the past few days. Slowly moving her shoulder, she winced at the pain, but it wasn't too bad now. 15 years in the Marines had taught her how to deal with varying degrees of pain and the shoulder was still in the manageable-without-painkillers range.

Grabbing the TV remote, Sam turned it on and flipped over to the Food Network prompting an instant protest from Dean.

"Dude!" Dean said, looking shocked at his younger brother's viewing tastes. "Come on, seriously, man? Since when do you watch cooking shows?"

"Hey, man," Sam protested, pointing at Fi. "She's the one who got me into the whole thing."

When Dean gave her an incredulous look, Fiona just shrugged. "One of the guys in my unit had this cooking magazine and the guys would take turns cooking recipes some nights." With a dirty grin, she added, "And then we caught one of the corporals jerking off to a picture of Nigella Lawson."

Dean choked on a sip of the beer he'd just pulled out of the cooler and he stared dumbfounded at Fiona who looked totally unabashed. He'd never—in his entire life—heard Fi talking like that before and it caught him off guard. But before he could check that Sam hadn't noticed, he turned to the TV and couldn't look away from the gorgeous woman who was sautéing onions. Gently curled black hair, eyes the color of milk chocolate, and her voice… A soft English accented voice that could just make a man go crazy in love.

"Dean," Fiona said with a smug smile. "Meet Nigella Lawson," she added, gesturing to the TV.

x

"This guy would be you if you could actually cook," Dean commented as he sat on one of the beds with Sam, watching Alton Brown use some weird model to explain some science of cooking.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, grabbing another slice of pizza from the box that sat in the middle of the bed.

They had been watching the food channel for almost two hours now, and to Sam's amazement and delight—simply because of the wide range of blackmail material—Dean had actually started watching as well.

"Come on, Sammy," Dean said with a grin. "You're practically a walking encyclopedia of supernatural and mundane information." Indicating the TV, he went on. "This guy—"

"Alton Brown," Fiona supplied, sitting on the other bed with another pizza.

"Okay, Alton Brown—" Dean corrected. "—is obviously a walking food encyclopedia." As the show moved along, Dean frowned at the TV. "Okay, that is NOT what happened."

Fiona turned and frowned at Dean. "What are you talking about?"

"Robert Johnson _was_ offered a deal," Dean explained. "Crossroads demon gave him 10 years before he was ripped apart by hellhounds."

"Wait a second," Fiona said, muting the TV before turning to face Dean. "A frickin' _musician_ gets 10 years and you only got _one_? What the hell?"

But Dean didn't look at Fi and realizing that Dean didn't want to talk about it, she settled back on the bed and put the volume back on. After a while, Dean finally said, "You think if I sent the food channel a letter correcting them on the Robert Johnson thing they'd just laugh?"

"Probably," Sam replied, shrugging.

x

"Now that's my kinda guy," Dean said later, watching Guy Fieri try and fit his mouth around one of the biggest burgers Dean had ever seen. "I mean that looks like one delicious burger."

"Dean, when was the last time you had your cholesterol checked?" Fiona asked, appalled. "You're probably one burger away from a heart attack."

"Hey, food hasn't killed me yet," Dean protested as he grabbed a couple beers from the cooler and handed one to Sam and Fi before popping one himself.

"That's… not exactly true," Sam said, quietly, but when he noticed that Dean and Fi were staring at him, Sam sighed and grabbed the remote from where Fiona had set it on the nightstand. After turning off the volume, he said, "Brower County Mystery Spot." Looking at Dean, he added, "You ate a bad taco and ended up dying of food poisoning."

"Yeah, but come on," Dean protested. "That was probably a fluke. Look at me: I'm fine!" Grabbing the remote, he thumbed the volume back on just as the show ended. "Great. Thanks a lot, Sammy."

"I've created a monster," Fiona muttered, setting her beer down and rubbing her still-aching shoulder.

* * *

><p>AN: In regards to the Food Network celebrities mentioned, I am a big fan of Alton Brown, (And FYI, Alton did mention Robert Johnson in the Tamale episode.) I think Guy Fieri is a bit annoying a times, and Nigella Lawson is one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a TV kitchen.


	3. Death Takes A Holiday

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay, first of all, I LOVED last Friday's episode! Very awesome! In fact, my brain is already working on spinning the episode into this storyline.

I'd also like to give a shout-out to author Faye Dartmouth and her story 'Just For Kicks' which inspired a small part of this chapter.

Chapter 3

* * *

><p><em>Death Takes A Holiday<em>

* * *

><p>There was something about the current case that had Fiona on edge from the beginning.<p>

As both a hunter _and_ a Marine, she was no stranger to death. She'd seen her fellow Marines shot and blown up and had known hunters who'd had their guts ripped out by monsters.

It had started as people simply not dying.

But even with some digging, Dean, Sam, and Fi could find no signs of anything out of the ordinary except for the fact that for the past 10 days, no one had dropped dead in the small town of Greybull, Wyoming.

After doing the preliminary investigations, Fi decided to stay at the motel while Dean and Sam tried to summon the spirit of Cole Griffith, a kid who was apparently the last person to die in town.

Sam's theory was the local reaper was absent for one reason or another, therefore putting a hiatus on people dying.

Hearing her cell phone ring, Fi answered it, hearing Bobby's voice on the other end of the line.

"You want the good news or the bad?" Bobby asked, sounding tired.

"Just tell me what you got, Bobby," Fiona replied, wearily.

"Looks like your local reaper might have been kidnapped," Bobby reported. There was a sound like he was rifling through some papers and then he went on. "There's something in Revelations. basically, you kill a reaper under the solstice moon, you got yourself a broken seal."

"Crap," Fiona grumbled. Broken seals meant Lilith was probably nearby and she and the Winchesters weren't ready for a showdown yet. Although Fiona suddenly wondered if they would ever be ready.

"You said it, kid," Bobby threw in. "Call me if you need help."

"You got it," Fi assured him before hanging up just as the motel door burst open and Sam came in half carrying Dean who looked only semiconscious. "What the hell happened?" she exclaimed, helping Sam get Dean lying down before grabbing an icepack from the small fridge in the room.

"Demons," Sam explained, succinctly, frowning slightly as he watched Fiona take care of Dean. "Alastair showed up. Looks like he's the one behind the reapers taking off."

"It's more like kidnapping," Fiona corrected. Seeing that she had the brothers' attention, she went on. "Bobby called. Looks like the death of a reaper breaks another seal."

"Wonderful," Dean groaned as he sat up. "How long do we have to stop this one, hmm? Couple hours?"

"That's the good news," Fiona said with a derisive smile. "Solstice moon is tomorrow night."

"Great," Sam said with a sarcastic scoff. "So what do we do now? I mean, the only ones who can see reapers are the dead and the dying."

"Well, if ghosts are the only ones who can see them," Dean said, sounding surprisingly casual. "—then we become ghosts."

Crossing her arms and sitting down on the other bed, Fiona was certain that this was the craziest plan they'd ever come up with. But at the same time, there didn't really seem to be much of a choice. "Okay, let's pretend for one millisecond that this isn't the most mental plan in the world." Fixing Dean with a look, she asked, "How exactly are you going to pull this harebrained scheme off?"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

While Dean once again went to retrieve Pamela Barnes to help out, Sam noticed that Fiona was seriously anxious as she paced the motel room.

"You alright?" Sam asked, when Fiona stopped pacing long enough to get a coffee refill.

"No, I'm not alright!" Fi snapped, setting her coffee cup down and turning to glare at Sam. "One, we've got almost no time to stop this seal from breaking. Two, you and Dean are about to do something heavy-crazy. And three… I don't want to die again."

"Again?" Sam asked, frowning slightly. "You mean when we went after those ghosts in Sioux Falls?"

"No, that was just respiratory distress," Fiona replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. Seeing that Sam wanted to know what she was talking about, Fi sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. "It was a couple years ago in Iraq. I was in Baghdad shooting hoops with some of the men in my unit and I got hit in the chest with the ball."

"And that almost killed you?" Sam asked, astonished. "How?"

Fi shrugged, trying to think of the best way to explain the event. "It was like… the biggest fluke in the world. The ball hit right over my heart right in between beats and it sent me into cardiac arrest. I was technically dead for almost 4 minutes."

Sam couldn't believe that he'd never heard about this before. Fi could have died and instead of dying in the field or in a fight with something supernatural it would have been because of a damn accident during a basketball game! "Okay…" he said, thinking. "Then Dean and I will do it and you can keep Pamela company. No problem."

Fi didn't say anything but she just nodded a silent 'thanks'.

xxxxxxxx

When Pamela and Dean arrived a few hours later, the blind psychic looked absolutely incredulous as she entered the room. "I can't even _begin_ to tell you how crazy you guys are," Pamela said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Wow, Pamela," Sam said, trying to be sociable. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

Pamela let out a derisive laugh as she turned in the direction of Sam's voice and lowered her shades, exposing the white, artificial eyes. "Aww, that's sweet, Grumpy. What do you say to deaf people?"

Behind the brothers, Fiona reached up and smacked Sam and Dean hard on the back of the head. "That's for making that remark," Fi explained as Sam turned to her. When she saw Dean rubbing his head and glaring at her, she added, "That was for laughing at Sam."

"Thanks, Fi," Pamela replied, sincerely. It was good to know that at least _someone_ was keeping the boys in line. "So which of you brainiacs came up with astral projection?" she asked, even though she had a sneaking suspicion.

"Yo," Dean said, simply, raising his hand.

"Of course," Pamela muttered. "So let's be clear," she went on, running through the plan. "You want to rip your souls out of your bodies and take a little stroll through the spirit world?" Hearing Dean's confirmation, she asked, "Do you have any idea how heavy-duty insane that is?"

"Maybe," Dean argued. "But that's where the reaper is."

"So it's nuts," Pamela stated, firmly.

"Not if you know what you're doing," Dean insisted.

"You _don't_ know what you're doing," Pamela reiterated. The boys'd had some crazy ideas before, but damn if this didn't completely take the cake.

"Yeah, but _you_ do," Dean replied in a would-be flattering tone.

But Pamela wasn't in the mood for flattery. Hadn't she said last time that the only the thing Winchesters would get from her was a heartfelt 'bite me'? "Yeah, _I_ do," she snapped, angrily. "And you know what? I'm getting tired of being pulled back into your angel-demon-soc-greaser crap!"

"Hey, I'd love to be kicking back with a cold one watching Food Network, too," Dean replied, ignoring the looks from Sam and Fi.

"Nice," Pamela muttered. "More blind jokes?"

"Look, Pamela, I don't want to be in the middle of this, either," Fi threw in. "But we're talking the end of the world here. The end of every_thing_ and every_one_ we care about. We need your help, okay?"

Pamela hated this. She didn't want to be in the middle of this again. This stuff was way over her head and if the Winchesters actually had half a brain, they'd just run for the hills. But they needed her help and against her better judgment, she was involved… again. "Fine," she acquiesced.

x

While Sam, Dean, and Fiona got everything together, Pamela thought of something and said, "Tell me something, geniuses—Even if you break into the veil and find the reaper, how are you going to save it?"

But as much as Dean wanted to rattle off an easy answer to the question, the truth was that he hadn't given it much if any thought. Shrugging, he just said, "With style and class."

But Pamela knew a lack of a real plan when she saw one and she laughed. "You're going to be three walking pieces of fog. Can't touch or move anything. You're going to be defenseless, hotshot."

"The boys are going to be defenseless," Fiona corrected. "I'm sitting this one out."

"Really?" Dean asked, not having heard anything about this.

"Yeah," Sam insisted, his tone and the look on his face making it clear that it wasn't up for discussion. "Really."

After a few more minutes, Pamela had sent Sam and Dean on their way to the spirit world. Going to Sam's bed, she bent down and whispered something in his ear. Standing up, she asked Fiona, "So how come you're the only one with a brain on this?"

Fi shrugged as she sat down next to Sam, unable to keep naughty thoughts out of her mind. "Just… don't feel comfortable being amongst the walking not-quite-dead," she said, vaguely as she felt something in Sam's left jeans pocket. Shifting her position, she sighed and explained, "I had a near-death experience a couple years ago. Cardiac arrest. My unit and I were in Iraq and during some down time, we started a pick-up basketball game."

"Game got that rough?" Pamela asked as she sat down on Dean's bed.

Fi shook her head. "Caught a shot to the chest. Just the right spot at just the right time. Thought I was dead."

Pamela sighed and after a moment, she said, "Look, no offense, Fiona, but what are you doing here? You could leave all this angels-demons-apocalypse behind and have a normal life."

But Fi shook her head. "No, I can't. I'd get dragged back into it one way or another."

"Starting to feel the same way," Pamela muttered, making her way to the miniscule kitchenette. When her foot bumped the cooler on the floor, she asked, "Want a beer?"

"Sure," Fi replied with a nod. After Pamela handed her the bottle, she asked, "So if you don't want any part of this, then what are you doing here?"

"Someone's got to save your asses," the other woman said with a shrug. While the two women sipped their beers, Pamela wondered what Sam and Dean were up to know. Had they found the reaper yet? Maybe this would all be over sooner rather than later. After a while, another question popped into her mind and she asked, "So how did you get into all this, anyway?"

Fiona shrugged as she stood, pacing the room as she checked the salt lines around the room. "I don't know, exactly, to be honest. Mom died in a car crash when I was a kid. Couple years later, one of Dad's Marine buddies got snuffed by a werewolf. For a while, it was just Dad and me. Then John Winchester joined up with us and it just went from there. Now Sam and Dean are as much my family as Dad was."

xxxxxxxxx

This case was getting more and more complicated by the minute, Dean decided as he stood alone in the hallway of Cole Griffith's house with Tessa, a reaper who had come to try and catch up on the recent non-deaths, while Sam was upstairs trying to talk to the kid, Cole.

"You're not the first hunter to get away from me, you know," Tessa said, watching Dean. "I almost took your friend, Fiona, too. It was a month or two after you got away."

Dean stiffened a bit at the news that Tessa had almost reaped Fi, but saving that issue for later, he asked, "Can I tell you something, between you and me?"

"Who am I going to tell?" Tessa replied, wondering what possible secrets Dean would entrust to her alone?

"After our little experience… For that whole year, I felt like I had this hole in my gut," Dean said, wanted to get it off his chest. "Like I was missing something. I didn't know what. But you know what it was? It was you."

Tessa had heard a lot of things from the souls she'd collected, but that was a first for her.

Dean didn't care what Tessa made of his confession as he went on. "The pain of losing my father and Sammy… I just… I wish I had gone with you for good."

Tessa thought about that for a moment and then asked, "What about Fiona?"

Narrowing his eyes at the reaper, Dean asked, "What about her?"

Tessa's smile was sly as she went on. "You can't tell me you haven't been just a little happy about being with her again."

Dean thought about that for a while and finally shook his head. "No," he admitted. "No, I can't say that." Thinking about Fi, he added, "It's just… when I'm around her, part of me feels like I'm her big brother, too. But also…" He felt just a little embarrassed admitting it. "It's like _she's_ the older sibling and when I'm with her I know that she's going to help make everything okay again."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

When night started to fall, Fi made a quick run to a local pizza place to pick up dinner, making sure the salt line at the door was still in place when she got back. "How're the boys?" Fiona asked Pamela who was now sitting on Sam's bed.

"Still out," Pamela reported with a shrug. "It's all quiet here."

Grabbing another couple of beers from the cooler, Fiona asked, "So… What about you? The whole psychic thing… how'd that happen?"

Pamela didn't respond for a moment, but finally, she said, "Just something I had a gift for."

"Yeah, but—" Fiona was cut off when she was suddenly flung across the room, crashing into the dresser along the wall. "Pamela!" Fi shouted in warning as she crumpled to the ground.

Pamela could feel the demon's presence and she could smell the stink of sulfur on him. Quickly, she started to chant the incantation in Sam's ear to bring him back but was interrupted when the demon grabbed her and threw her onto the counter by the sink. Shouting the rest of the incantation, she managed to sit up just as the demon plunged a knife into her gut.

"Pamela!" Sam said, panicked. With a swift wave of his hand, he flung the demon against the wall and without another thought, quickly exorcised the demon before going to Pamela.

"Get her on the bed," Fiona groaned as she managed to get to her feet.

"Don't sweat it," Pamela said with a derisive laugh. "I can't die. Not in this town."

"Yeah, well, let's keep it that way," Fiona said, grabbing the medical kit. Looking at Sam who had just gotten Pamela lying down, she said, "Whiskey."

"Right," Sam confirmed, grabbing the bottle from Dean's bag.

Fiona went to work, quickly, giving Pamela a couple of painkillers and a hefty shot of the whiskey before working on repairing the knife wound.

"How's it looking?" Pamela groaned.

Fiona shrugged, finishing up stitches. "Wake Dean up, then we're getting you to the hospital."

"Better go warm up the car then," Pamela said, sitting up with Sam's help. "Go on. Give me a minute alone with Grumpy, here," she added, trying to sound casual.

Fiona nodded and headed out of the room while Pamela brought Dean back. But before Fi could get to the Impala, she suddenly doubled over in pain, gasping for breath. Her vision swam as she fell to the ground, unconsciousness claiming her as her head it the ground.

x

While Dean supported Pamela as they headed out of the motel, Sam hurried behind them, his mind whirling with what Pamela had whispered in his ear just moments before. _"If you think you have good intentions, think again."_ Pamela knew about Sam's abilities and he was willing to bet that Fiona had seen as well.

"FI!"

Dean's panicked voice quickly brought Sam out of his thoughts and after they had gotten Pamela into the backseat of the car, Dean scoped Fiona up and got her in as well, barely waiting for Sam to get into the passenger seat before tearing out of the parking lot and blasting down the road towards the hospital.

x

Once at the emergency room, Pamela lost consciousness as well and Dean carried her in while Sam got Fiona. Looking at the nearest doctor, Sam said, "We need some help here!"

Dr. Bianca Sheldon hurried over, calling for two gurneys as she asked, "What happened?"

"Our cousin and our friend were mugged," Dean said, quickly, making a mental note to come up with a full cover story as soon as possible.

Once the two women were on gurneys and headed towards the trauma unit, Dean looked at Sam and asked, "What the hell happened, Sammy?"

"I don't know, Dean," Sam replied, honestly. "I woke up and Pamela had been stabbed and Fi was lying on the ground. Demon smoked out and Pamela brought you back after Fi tried to stitch her up."

Dean nodded, rubbing his face with one hand as he paced the waiting room.

xxxxxxxx

After answering the hospital's questions, filling out forms, and sitting around waiting for a few hours, Sam decided to go back to the motel to pack up their stuff.

Sitting alone in the waiting room, Dean felt the weight of the past day pressing down on him. God, was this jacked. He spent so much time in hospitals and he wasn't sure what was worse: being a patient, or waiting on hearing about his friends and family who had been hurt.

x

It was some hours later when Dr. Sheldon came back up to the brothers, looking a little weary but satisfied. "Your cousin, Pamela, is in recovery right now," she reported. "Your friend, Fiona, probably saved her life."

"And Fi?" Dean asked as he stood, hoping it wasn't bad news.

"Fiona is still in surgery," Sheldon replied, sadly. "Her injuries were much more severe than your cousin's—There's extensive internal bleeding but the surgeons are working on her."

"Will she be okay?" Dean asked again.

Dr. Sheldon could see the anguished look in Dean's eyes and she asked, "The two of you are close?"

"She's like a sister to me," Dean admitted, not even sure of why he was saying this. "But she and my brother, Sam…"

"I've been there before," Bianca Sheldon admitted with an understanding smile. "We're doing everything we can and Fiona's strong, healthy… Her chances are good." Putting a hand on Dean's upper arm, the doctor asked, "Is there anything I can get for you? Coffee?"

Even though he couldn't remember when he'd last taken the time to eat anything, Dean shook his head. "Just let me know when Pamela's awake."

xxxxxxxxx

When Sam got back to the hospital bearing coffee and doughnuts from a nearby bakery the following morning, he found Dean upstairs in the ICU, sitting next to Fiona's bed. "How is she?" Sam asked, handing his brother a cup of black coffee.

"Stable," Dean muttered, wearily. "The docs fixed the internal bleeding but she cracked her head on the pavement in the motel parking lot."

Even though he was dreading the answer, Sam asked, "What about Pamela?"

Dean gave Sam a look and sighed, heavily. "She said, and I quote, "Tell that bastard Bobby Singer to go to Hell for ever introducing me to the two of you in the first place.'"

"Wow," Sam said as he sat on the edge of Fiona's bed. "So what now?"

"I don't know, Sammy," Dean admitted, looking from his brother to Fiona. "I just don't know anymore."

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter, Ellen and Bobby stay with Fiona while Dean tortures Alastair and Sam and Ruby team up once again.


	4. On The Head Of A Pin

AUTHOR'S NOTES: If you haven't seen episode 6.17, you may be a bit confused by the appearance of Ellen Harvelle in this chapter. If you _have_ seen the episode, it'll make more sense.

This chapter is one of the most emotionally charged ever and I tried to do my best with it.

Chapter 4

* * *

><p><em>On the Head of a Pin<em>

* * *

><p>Fiona blinked in confusion when she woke up in the hospital. Sam was there, but Dean was missing.<p>

"Hey," Sam said, quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone's been inside me redecorating," Fiona groaned as Sam adjusted the bed so she was sitting up a bit more. "Where's Dean?" When Sam looked away and didn't answer, she grabbed his arm tightly. "Sam, where's Dean?"

Sam turned to Fi, his expression dark. "The angels took him," he admitted, still not liking the whole situation. "They have Alastair captured and they want Dean to torture him for information." Fiona didn't say anything for a few moments and then she started sitting up more. "Whoa, whoa!" Sam said, quickly, stopping Fiona. "Where the hell are you going?"

"To find Dean and then kick some angel ass," Fiona groaned as she started to get up.

"Fi, you just woke up from major surgery, okay?" Sam argued, keeping a firm yet gentle hold on Fiona. "I'll find Dean."

"You're not going after him alone," Fi insisted. But she felt tired and even though she wanted to back Sam up, she knew she was in no shape for a hunt.

"I won't go it alone," Sam promised as he helped Fiona back into bed. "I swear." After a few minutes of watching his girlfriend until she finally fell asleep again, Sam slipped out into the hallway and pulled out his cell phone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hearing the main house phone ring, Bobby picked up and answered, gruffly, "Yeah?"

"Bobby, it's Sam."

Bobby sighed and asked, "Sam, what in the world happened with Pamela? I called the hospital to check on her and they said she checked out A.M.A. this morning, leaving a message for me saying 'screw you'!"

"It's a long story, Bobby," Sam replied, sounding tired.

"'A long story'?" Bobby repeated, grabbing his coffee cup from the counter and filling it up. "Well, then you better start talking."

"I'll tell you when you get here," Sam assured him. "Fiona's awake, but I don't want to leave her alone right now and I need to go save Dean."

Bobby sighed and after a moment said, "Okay, I'll be there in a couple hours." Hanging up the phone, he looked up as he heard footsteps and saw Ellen Harvelle coming in from the library.

"That the boys?" Ellen asked, looking at the phone in Bobby's hand. Catching the slightly puzzled look on Bobby Singer's face, she smiled. "Lucky guess," she replied to the unasked question. "Where are they?"

"Cheyenne, Wyoming," Bobby replied. "That angel, Castiel, tricked Sam, Dean, and Fiona out there. They saved a seal but Fi and Pamela got hurt."

"That's why you said Pamela's not talking to you anymore?" Ellen figured. When Bobby nodded, she sighed and said, "Well, then let's get going."

"You're coming, too?" Bobby asked, a bit put off.

"Well, I could always stay and work on cleaning up this pig sty you call a house," Ellen countered with a smirk.

"I'll go get the car started," Bobby grumbled as he headed for the door. He must be out of his mind for dating Ellen Harvelle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After hanging up with Bobby, Sam made one more call before heading to the motel near the hospital. By the time he got back to the room, Ruby was waiting outside looking annoyed. "So is there a reason you called me in on this and not your girlfriend?"

"I need you to help me find where the angels took Dean," Sam replied, simply and he made a break in the salt line by the door to allow the demon entrance. After redoing the salt, he turned to look at Ruby who didn't look bothered at all by the whole thing.

"Not sure I see the problem," Ruby said, setting her bag down on the table. "You know they've got Alastair strung up six ways from Sunday. Dean cuts himself a slice, Al's reduced to a quivering heap, and the good guys get the goods. What's wrong with that?"

On the surface, Sam knew Ruby had a point. But in reality, he knew things were much more complicated than that. "He can't do it," Sam admitted, quietly.

"Look, I get it," Ruby said with a roll of her eyes. "You don't want Dean going all torture master again."

"No," Sam clarified. "I mean, he _can't_ do it. He can't get the job done." Walking around the room, he went on. "Something happened to him downstairs, Ruby. He's not what he used to be. He's not strong enough."

After all the times Ruby had heard Sam talk about how strong Dean Winchester was, a very small part of her—the tiny sliver of her being that still felt human emotions—was saddened just a little bit. "And you are strong enough?" she asked, giving Sam a look. Sam had been on a 'demon blood lite' diet, but now she sensed that he was needing it more and more. And to her, that was good.

"I will be," Sam assured her. He knew what he needed to do, but he hated the prospect and silently begged Fiona for forgiveness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In an abandoned meat packing facility, Dean tried to drown out Alastair's voice as the demon started taunting him—reminding Dean how he'd broken in thirty years while his father had held out for nearly a hundred years.

But Dean knew all about Alastair's penchant for psychological torment as well as physical torture and searched his mind for something to focus on. It was the way he'd lasted as long as he'd had down in the Pit. Dean had forced himself to think about Sam, think about Fiona… anything but the torture.

But now it was different.

Because now Dean knew that there would be no one swooping in to save him. He was alone in this.

"Just not the man your Daddy wanted you to be, huh, Dean?" Alastair sneered. "Makes me wonder… Maybe if it had been that girl of yours, huh? I wonder how long _she_ would have held out for."

Realizing that he meant Fiona, Dean stiffened. "Yeah, well, keep wondering. Because you will never get your hands on Fi." After pouring out some holy water into a cup, he turned to the demon that had tortured him for more than a quarter of a century and said, "You know what else? I could still dream, Alastair. Even in Hell. And over and over and over, you know what I dreamt? I dreamt of this moment." Turning back to the array of tools and weapons on the cart in front of him, Dean filled a hypodermic needle with holy water and out of the corner of his eye, he felt satisfied to see a nervous look on Alastair's face. "And believe me—I got a few ideas."

But the nervous look was replaced by a defiant one when Dean faced the demon. Walking up to Hell's greatest torturer, Dean had a twisted smile on his face as he held up the needle. "Let's get started."

xxxxxxxx

After Ruby's hocus pocus to find Dean's general location, Sam felt the absence of the demon blood weighing on him. There was an energy he was lacking and much as he hated the whole idea, he needed the strength the blood gave him. It was the only way to save Dean and for his brother, Sam would do anything—just as Dean would do anything to save Sam. "Ruby… It's been weeks. I need it," Sam said, feeling ashamed of his weakness.

"You don't seem too happy about it," Ruby said, wishing her hold on Sam was stronger. "Besides… I thought you didn't want to do that anymore. Something about your little girlfriend having a hissy fit about it the last time."

"You think I want to do this?" Sam asked, going to sit on his bed. "This is the _last_ thing I want." Not to mention the fact that he'd promised Fiona that he'd stopped for good. "But I need to be strong enough. I need to be able to save Dean and Fi."

Walking over to Sam, Ruby withdrew a knife from the sheath in her boot and stood in front of Sam as she slowly drew the silver blade across her left forearm, smiling as Sam pressed his lips to the cut, drinking deeply of the rich, dark blood.

xxxxxxxxx

"How're you doing, kid?" Ellen said as she entered Fiona's hospital room with Bobby.

"Who're you?" Fi asked, wincing heavily as she sat up in bed.

"Ellen Harvelle," Ellen replied with a smile as she held out a hand. When Fi shook it, she added, "Friend of Bobby's and John Winchester's."

"Nice to meet you," Fi replied, looking from Ellen to Bobby before rolling her eyes. "Let me guess—Sam called you."

"He's worried about you," Ellen said, pulling up a chair as Bobby leaned against the window sill.

"He needs to be worried about Dean," Fi said, breathing through a fresh wave of pain. "The angels have Dean torturing Alastair and I've got this really bad feeling."

"Bad feeling about what?" Bobby asked, frowning slightly.

Fi shook her head, not sure of how to describe it. "I don't know. But something doesn't feel right about all this. Why would demons murder angels?"

Sitting up in her chair a bit more, Ellen said, "No idea."

"So why did both of you come here? I'm fine," Fi said, wishing she could just get out of the hospital already.

Looking at Bobby, Ellen said, "Bobby, why don't you go over to the boys' motel and see if Sam knows anything?"

Bobby hesitated but seeing that Ellen wanted to talk to Fiona alone, he just nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once Bobby was gone, Ellen sighed as she leaned forward. "I know about your dad, Fiona. James came by the Roadhouse more than a few times. He was a good man. He and John worked well together."

Fi was quiet for a while and after a few minutes she felt the tears in her eyes. "I'm the oldest, okay?" She finally explained. "And once again, Dean and Sam end up saving _my_ ass."

"Yeah, well," Ellen said with a smile. "The boys'll do that." Putting a hand on Fiona's arm, she added, "I say you just start getting used to it. Just 'case you're older doesn't mean you don't need help now and then." Leaning back again, she said, "'Sides, to Sam and Dean, you're family. They'd do anything for you, honey."

"How do you know that?" Fi asked, curious.

Ellen laughed and said, "I know quite a bit about the Winchesters. John and my husband, Bill, went of a couple hunts together, sometimes working with James, too." Her expression growing serious, she asked, "So… what's this bad feeling you have?"

Fi shook her head. "I just don't know. Something about this whole thing just doesn't sit right. And then there's Sam…"

"What about him?" Ellen asked, leaning forward again.

Fi thought for a moment before she replied, "Sam and Dean have been on edge with each other lately. For a while Sam was…" Trailing off, Fiona realized that Ellen might not want to know about the whole demon blood mess and she just said, "Things have been strained between them."

"Oh, honey," Ellen murmured, quietly as she stood, sitting down on the edge of Fiona's bed and pulling the younger woman into a hug. "I know how hard his must be for you."

Gently hugging Ellen, Fi felt the hole in her stomach grow again. She'd barely been older than Dean when her mother had died and just like Dean, she often longed to feel her mother hold her one more time.

xxxxxxxxx

As he listened to the sounds of Dean torturing Alastair, Castiel felt himself being drawn further and further into doubt. He knew Heaven's orders, knew what had to be done, but he did not like having to bring Dean Winchester into this. The young man had been broken enough in Hell, and now he had to do something that would destroy what little of his soul remained intact.

"Hello, Castiel."

Castiel would recognize the voice anywhere and without turning, he said, "Anna."

The formerly fallen angel walked up to her old friend, giving Castiel a look. "Why are you doing this, Cas? You know this isn't right. Since when is torture God's will?"

Turning to face Anna, Cas sighed, deeply. "Then what are we supposed to do? Let Lilith slaughter our brothers and sisters?"

"What makes you so certain that it's Lilith?" Anna asked, stepping closer to Castiel. "That the orders come from Heaven?" Looking into the other angel's blue eyes, she asked, "What do your instincts tell you, Castiel?"

"My instincts?" Castiel repeated, not certain that he understood. But as he thought about it, he realized that Anna meant the twisting in his stomach.

Anna could see the conflict in Castiel's eyes and she gave him a sad smile. "What you're feeling? It's called 'doubt'. It gets worse, Cas. And it's confusing when you first choose your own course of action." Putting a hand over Castiel's heart, she added, "But you know what's wrong and what's right." She looked at the door behind which Anna could hear Alastair's pained screams. "This is wrong, Castiel. And you know it. Stop this. Before you ruin the only real weapon you have."

Castiel didn't reply for the longest time. "I don't know what to do," he admitted, not liking the feeling. "Anna, please tell me what to do," he implored, not knowing how to do anything except follow orders.

"Like the old days?" Anna asked with a small smile. "No. I'm sorry. It's time to think for yourself, Castiel."

Before Castiel could try again, Anna had gone and he was once again alone. But he didn't have much time to dwell on his thoughts and his doubts as he heard a crash coming from the room where Dean was torturing Alastair. Looking through the window of the door, Castiel felt a surge of panic when he saw that Alastair was no longer bound. Opening the door, he found Dean lying bloody and unconscious on the floor. Grabbing the knife lying on the floor, Castiel tried stabbing Alastair but the demon seemed remarkably unfazed.

"Oh, almost," Alastair, commented, looking at the handle of the knife. Turning his gaze to the angel, he sneered, "Looks like God is on _my_ side today."

But Castiel wasn't about to admit defeat and holding out a hand, used his own abilities to slowly twist the knife. But Alastair pulled the knife out of his shoulder, dropping it to the ground before running at Castiel and pummeling him.

Sam burst into the meat packing plant and hearing the sounds of a fight, he ran towards an open room, eyes wide as he saw his brother on the floor and Castiel pinned to the wall by Alastair. Sam raised one hand, sending the demon slamming into a wall with a single gesture and slowly walked towards him. "Leave my brother alone," Sam ordered, his expression cold.

Getting up off the floor, Castiel stared in disbelief at Sam. The power coming off of the younger Winchester was stronger than anything Castiel had ever felt before from angel or demon. As Sam took over the interrogation, Castiel felt an uncomfortable surge of fear. Alastair was one of the most powerful demons even known and as Sam killed him, the angel looked from brother to brother before quickly winging out of the room, afraid that the younger Winchester's wrath would quickly find a new target.

Running to his brother, Sam felt a fresh surge of anger that Castiel had flown the coop before healing Dean. But pushing that aside, Sam bent down and picked his brother up, hurrying outside to the Impala and getting his brother into the passenger seat before driving back to the hospital.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sam!" Bianca Sheldon exclaimed as the young man came in carrying his brother. "Good God, what happened?"

"Someone attacked him," Sam replied, vaguely as a couple nurses helped get Dean onto a gurney.

Bianca quickly took Dean into the emergency room, noting the extensive injuries and hoping that they weren't going to lose him, especially considering that Dean wasn't breathing.

Watching through the windows as the nurses and doctors worked on saving his brother, Sam prayed that he wasn't going to lose Dean again.

x

When Dean came out of emergency, Dr. Sheldon went over to Sam, looking grave. She hated giving him more bad news, especially considering that his girlfriend was still healing from her internal injuries.

"How's Dean?" Sam asked, hoping that the injuries just looked worse than they really were.

"He's on his way to surgery," Bianca explained. "Dean was beaten up pretty badly. He's got four broken ribs, internal bleeding, and severe head trauma." She hated saying the next part, but she knew that this was no time for candy-coating the situation. "Your brother's in a coma. We won't know what his chances are until we get the results of the CT scans."

Running a hand through his hair, Sam could feel the rage and ager building up in him and before he could stop himself, he turned and threw a punch at the wall, wincing as his fist collided with the concrete.

"Sam!" Bianca exclaimed, approaching him cautiously, knowing that angry family members should be approached carefully. Trying to see Sam's hand, she asked, "Are you alright?"

Sam didn't respond right away. He could feel the power from the demon blood still pumping through him and he was afraid of what might show up if the doctors ran blood tests on him. But when the doctor gently took his hand, examining the open injuries and feeling for any breaks, he felt himself slowly coming down from the immediate high from the demon blood.

"Okay," Bianca said, with a knowing smile. "I can tell you're one of _those_ guys, so how about this? Humor me and get some x-rays of that hand and then go see your girlfriend, Fiona. I'll come get you as soon as I know anything about your brother."

Considering that his hand was starting to throb pretty badly, Sam just nodded and headed towards the radiology wing, his mind still racing with his worst fear about what might happen to Dean.

x

Half an hour later, Sam was sitting in one of the exam rooms on the first floor, holding an ice pack to his right hand. When he saw Bianca out in the hallway, he realized that it circumstances were different and he was more like Dean, he'd have been flirting with the pretty, brunette ER doctor from the moment he first saw her.

But Sam wasn't Dean. He'd never be Dean. Dean would never have taken to drinking demon blood or working with a demon on a regular basis.

"Well, I'll say this," Bianca said as she entered the room, holding Sam's x-rays. "For a guy stupid enough to punch a brick wall, you at least know what you're doing."

"I take that to mean I didn't break anything?" Sam replied with a wry smile.

"No, you didn't," Bianca replied, pulling the x-ray out and snapping it into the light screen on the wall. "Your hand's going to be pretty badly bruised for a while, but nothing serious."

"Thanks," Sam replied, dully. "Any news on Dean?"

The doctor looked a bit regretful as she reported, "He's in surgery. As soon as I know something, I'll come find you, okay?"

"Thanks," Sam muttered heading back upstairs to Fiona's room, surprised when he saw both Bobby _and_ Ellen.

"How're you doing, sweetie?" Ellen asked, giving Sam a smile.

"Been better," Sam said with a weary sigh.

"Well, where's Dean?" Bobby asked, not liking that fact that Sam was alone. Seeing the look on the younger Winchester's face, he knew it was bad.

"Sam, what happened?" Fiona asked, panic in her voice.

"Alastair," Sam replied, simply. "The angels had him in a Devil's Trap but something happened. Alastair broke free and went after Dean. He's in surgery, but it's bad."

"Get me out of here, Sam," Fiona barked in her best Marine voice as she slowly started to get out of bed.

"Whoa, hey!" Ellen said, quickly as she and Sam went to Fiona's side. "Fiona Brendon, you are not going anywhere, young lady." When Fi shot her a glare, Ellen didn't even flinch. "Don't you even try it, kid. I've tousled with hunters twice your size."

But Sam could see that Fiona wasn't going to let anyone stop her and in an effort to keep his girlfriend from ripping out her stitches, he said, "Fi, Dean's in surgery, okay? It'll probably be at least half a day before you can see him."

Fi didn't move and didn't say anything for a while, but eventually she let Ellen and Sam get her back into bed. Before Sam could move away, she grabbed his arm and fixed him with a look. "Soon as Dean's out of surgery, we go see him together," she said, her tone making it clear it wasn't an issue for debate.

* * *

><p><em>Trapped inside his mind, Dean found himself in a familiar place—the Harvelle Roadhouse.<em>

_Sitting at the bar, a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and a glass in front of him, he poured himself a drink, letting the scotch try and sooth the pain he felt. The physical pain was gone but the wounds to his soul burned and throbbed._

He_ had broken the first seal. _

He _had started the apocalypse._

_How was he supposed to live with that? _

_There was no way he could stop it. The very idea of killing Lilith was ridiculous. _

"_It's not hopeless, Dean."_

_Dean looked up, surprised to see Anna sitting beside him. "I'm not in the mood," he muttered, not wanting to hear some crap about Heaven or God._

"_Dean, I'm sorry," Anna said, honestly. When Dean finally turned to her, she added, "I wish one of us had brought Sam back. I wish we could have saved you from all of this."_

_Dean just poured himself another drink and downed it. "Yeah, well, you can't change the past."_

_Putting a hand on Dean's arm, Anna tried again. "What happens to Sam if you give up? To Fiona or your friend, Bobby? They need you, Dean. You don't have to always go it alone."_

"_I'm not strong enough, Anna," Dean whispered, his voice cracking as the tears started up._

"_You don't have to be," Anna insisted. "Fiona… Sam. The world isn't only on your shoulders."_

_But Dean couldn't be comforted. "I broke the first seal. I started everything."_

_Anna gave Dean's arm a gentle squeeze and she gave Dean a warm smile. "And you'll be the one to stop it." When Dean's eyes finally met hers, she said, "I have faith in you, Dean. Don't give up now." Leaning forward, she met Dean's lips in a tender kiss and as she pulled away, she promised, "I'll be watching over you, Dean."_

_With that, Anna disappeared, leaving Dean alone again._

* * *

><p>True to her word, Bianca Sheldon came to Fiona's room as soon as Dean came out of surgery. "The good news is that Dean's in recovery right now," she reported, candidly. "We almost lost him, but Dean's a fighter."<p>

"What's the bad news?" Bobby asked, sensing another show about to drop.

Bianca hated giving this kind of news to patients' families, but she knew that the truth was preferable to empty reassurances. "Dean's still in a coma. We're keeping a close watch on him, but… But it's not good. He's on a ventilator right now and we're giving him transfusions to help with the blood loss."

Ellen looked stricken and she knew that as terrible as she felt, Sam and Fiona probably felt even worse. "But Dean's gonna make it, right?"

Bianca swallowed, wishing she could give them better news. "We won't know anything until Dean wakes up. _If_ he wakes up."

"Can we see him?" Fiona asked, starting to sit up, ignoring the pain in her abdomen. Seeing the doctor start to protest, Fiona straightened up, even though it made the bruises on her back flare with pain. "I'll go in a wheelchair or lying on a gurney, but I have to see him." Looking at Sam, she amended, "_We_ have to see him."

Bianca offered no argument. She could tell that it would be pointless and after simply nodding in agreement, she went to flag down one of the nurses to take Sam and Fiona to Recovery.

When the two had left the room, Ellen let out a soft laugh as she sat down on Fiona's bed.

"What's so funny?" Bobby asked, not sure he saw _any_ humor in this whole mess.

"Fiona and Sam," Ellen replied, with a shrug. "They kinda remind me of when Bill and I first met."

Bobby just nodded, not sure of what to say to that.

xxx

In another hospital room in the ICU, Fiona couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes as she saw Dean lying unconscious, hooked up to a ventilator, leads monitoring his brain activity. "This is all my fault," she whispered, taking Dean's hand. "I should have been with you guys from the start. I put my needs first, and… I lost Mom, I lost Dad… Dean, I can't lose you, too."

Sitting down on Dean's other side, Sam couldn't think of anything to say. Dean shouldn't be in this mess. This was all Castiel's fault! Catching movement in the doorway, Sam looked up to see the trenchcoat-clad angel standing there. Getting up while muttering some excuse to Fi, Sam headed out of his brother's room and just down the hall, his temper rising as he pointed to Dean's room and snapped, "Get in there and heal him. Miracle—now!"

"I can't," Castiel said, flatly.

"You and Uriel put him in there!" Sam shouted, ready to tear the angel limb from limb. "Because you can't keep a simple Devil's Trap together!"

"I don't know what happened," Castiel snapped back, angrily. "That Trap…" Taking a moment to collect himself. "It shouldn't have broken. I am sorry."

"This whole thing was _pointless_!" Sam insisted. He couldn't believe that the angel wasn't taking responsibility for what he'd done. "Do you understand that? The demons _aren't_ doing the hits. Something else is killing the angels."

As Castiel contemplated that, he felt a flicker of fear as he realized what that meant. "Perhaps Alastair was lying," he said, hopefully.

"No," Sam said, quietly. "He wasn't." Without another word, he turned and headed back into Dean's room.

* * *

><p>It was nearly three weeks before Dean started showing signs of regaining consciousness. Sam and Fiona had almost permanently camped out in his room, although Ellen and Bobby spelled them in shifts periodically.<p>

After two weeks, Dean had thankfully been able to breathe on his own, but he still hadn't woken up.

The doctors and neurologists had been cautiously optimistic at first, but as the days went on, they grew less and less hopeful that Dean would wake up.

As Bobby sat with Dean one night while Fiona, Sam, and Ellen went to get some sleep, the grizzled older hunter said, "Never told you why I threatened to shoot John if he came by again. Every time I saw the way he was training you boys… You should have had a real childhood. You _and_ Sam." Sighing, Bobby leaned back in his chair. "John and I got into it—I mean, I really worked him over. When it was over, I grabbed the shotgun, told John if I ever saw his ass again I'd fill him with buckshot."

After a moment of watching Dean, Bobby went on. "This shouldn't be your life, boy. You should have a wife, kids… a real home. And Sam and Fiona should be working on a family." He leaned forward and, ignoring the tears in his eyes, took Dean's hand. "You and Sam are the closest thing to family I have. So you need to wake up, Dean. Besides…" Bobby manages a sad smile as he said, "Don't you want to give me hell for dating Ellen?"

The monitors started beeping a little faster and Bobby looked up sharply when he heard Dean give the slightest of moans. "Dean? You in there, boy?"

It felt like an eternity, but slowly Dean's eyes slowly opened a crack. "Dad?"

The word was spoken so softly that Bobby almost missed it. "Dean?" he said, seeing Dean open his eyes just a little more. "Thank God." When Dean didn't say anything else, Bobby got up and went to go get one of the doctors, casting one last glance over his shoulder before he left the room.

In the moment that Bobby left, Castiel appeared and took the still-warm chair. "Are you alright?" Castiel asked, quietly.

Waking up a bit more, Dean slowly turned his head towards the angel before looking away again. "No thanks to you," he said, hoarsely, his throat still feeling sore from Alastair choking him.

"You need to be more careful," Castiel cautioned, hoping to that he and Dean would have at least a few minutes before Bobby returned.

"You need to learn how to manage a damn Devil's Trap," Dean replied, wishing he had the strength to give the angel the finger.

"That's not what I mean," the angel said, quietly. "Uriel is dead."

"Was it the demons?" Dean asked, looking at Castiel.

"It was disobedience," Castiel corrected. Looking at Dean, he added, "He was working against us."

Remembering what Alastair had said before whomping his ass, Dean asked, "Is it true? Did I break the first seal? Did I start all of this?"

Castiel wished, more than anything, that he could deny it, but he knew Dean would see through the lie, even in his weakened state. "Yes. When we discovered Lilith's plans for you, we laid siege to Hell. We fought our way to get to you before you—"

"—jumpstarted the apocalypse," Dean finished.

"But we were too late," Castiel finished.

"Why didn't you leave me there, then?" Dean asked, weakly. The memories and realization of what he'd done were crashing down on his and he wished that he'd never woken up… that he had died…

"It's not blame that falls on you, Dean," the angel went on. "It's fate. The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it." Facing Dean, he pressed, "You have to stop it."

Dean's voice trembled as he said, "Lucifer? The Apocalypse…? What does that mean?" When Castiel looked away again, Dean raised his voice as best he could. "Hey! Don't you go disappearing on me, you son of a bitch. What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Castiel confessed.

"Bull!" Dean shouted.

"I don't," Castiel insisted, wishing he had better answers. Looking at Dean, he admitted, "Dean, they don't tell me much. I do know our fate rests with you."

The weight of that only served to make Dean feel worse. "Well, then you guys are screwed," he said, feeling himself start to cry. "I can't do it, Cas. It's too big. Alastair was right: I'm not all here. I'm not st… I'm not strong enough." The tears slid down his cheeks and thinking on everything, he added, "I guess I'm not the man either of our dads wanted me to be. Find someone else… It's not me."

'_If not you, Dean Winchester,'_ Castiel asked himself. _'Then who _will_ be the one to save us?'_

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter will cover 'It's a Terrible Life' and you'll never guess who Dean's married to! (Although if you want to guess, feel free.)


	5. It's a Terrible Life

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Oh. My. God! You have NO idea how near impossible this chapter was!

First, I consulted my two biggest fans of this series: Dark-Supernatural-Angel and deanstheman for advice on this chapter. And I got opposite viewpoints, but one worked better than the other, so that's the line I went with.

Then there was the fact that I'm writing the characters out of character which for this episode was actually _in character_!

Ugh!

Hopefully, I pulled it off and please send me a review, even if only to harass me about updating

Chapter 5

* * *

><p><em>It's A Terrible Life<em>

* * *

><p>When Dean Smith woke to the sound of his alarm clock at 6am, he rolled over, surprised to find his wife missing from their bed. Figuring she was just out for one of her early morning runs, Dean turned off the alarm clock and got up, grabbing his favorite bluegray suit and the blue striped shirt and red tie Fiona had given him for their anniversary a few months ago.

Heading downstairs, he found that his wife had already brewed a fresh pot of coffee and tacked a sign on the espresso maker saying _'Dean, have a damn cup of coffee! I promise it won't kill you!'_

Dean frowned as he took the note down and headed for the fridge so as to make his usual steamed chai rice milk, only to find a second note from Fiona and no milk.

Thinking dismally that this was not the way to start a good day, Dean turned the coffee maker off and sighed as he grabbed his briefcase and headed out of the apartment and to his car parked along the street.

Getting in, he started the engine, frowning at the classic rock music blasting from the speakers. It was bad enough listening to that noise when he was driving with Fiona in her car, but did she have to play that racket in _his_ beloved Prius?

* * *

><p>Across town, Fiona Smith moaned with delight as she woke up next to her lover, Sam Wesson.<p>

"Don't you have to be at work in an hour?" Sam said as he smiled at her, and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Yep," Fiona confirmed as she got up, smiling as she saw Sam's eyes traveling all over her naked body. Pulling on her panties and bra, she bend down for one last kiss and said, "Just another long day protecting the fine, _fine_ employees of Sandover Bridge and Iron."

Watching Fiona getting dressed, Sam sighed as he, too, got up and got dressed, the same thoughts weighing on his mind as when he'd first seen Fiona at the office. That this relationship—even though Fiona was married—felt right. And yet… "So where does your husband think you are?"

"You know," Fiona said as she finished straightening her uniform. "It doesn't matter. I don't know why I married Dean in the first place." Turning to Sam she touched his cheek tenderly. "He and I just don't fit the way you and me do." With a final peck on the cheek, she smiled as she said, "See you at the office."

* * *

><p>After getting to the office, Dean dove right in to his work. Sure, he imagined he'd be doing something else by now, but he was good at his job and things were predictable here.<p>

He spent most of the morning drafting a few new memos and adjusting the latest business plans for the information one of the interns had brought by earlier, finally breaking for lunch from his favorite café. The place made the best spinach salads and Dean wished that Fiona would get off his back about his diet. What was wrong with being vegetarian anyway? Most wives tried to _encourage_ their husbands to eat healthy.

Besides, it wasn't like the two of them were burning the calories off in the bedroom every night lately.

x

After lunch, Dean set up his Bluetooth headset and started taking his afternoon meetings as he finished the paperwork he'd left the previous night.

The hours ticked by slowly and as Dean finished up his work, he wondered if Fiona would be home for dinner. Lately she'd been going out with friends, coming home late at night.

Not that Dean was worried about her having an affair. She worked in company security. Not exactly the best way to nab someone on the side.

"Dean," Zach Adler said as he entered Dean's office.

Ending the conference call he was on, Dean gave his boss a smile. "Mr. Adler."

"How're things going?" Zach asked, brightly.

"Going good," Dean assured him. "And I'll have those files and reports ready for you on Wednesday."

"Good work," Zach said, surprised. "You're destined for big things, Dean."

"Thank you, sir," Dean replied with a nod.

"Big things," Zach assured Dean as he headed for the door. "Good stuff."

"Good stuff," Dean said, his smile fading slightly at his boss left. God, why did he have to work for such a dick? Frowning slightly, he wondered where that had come from. He'd never called someone a dick before.

xxxxxxx

When 5:30 finally rolled around, Dean packed up his things and started to head out, sending a few last emails on his phone as he stepped into the elevator. But after a moment, he felt someone watching him and turned to look at the other man in the elevator.

"Do I know you?" Sam Wesson asked, wondering why the man in the elevator with him looked so familiar.

"I don't think so," Dean replied, turning back towards his phone. But there was something nagging in the back of his mind that he _did_ know this man. Oh, Dean needed a vacation. Maybe he and Fiona could go back to that charming resort up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

When the elevator opened, Dean got out, heading for his car when he heard someone call his name. Looking up, he saw Fiona coming towards him. "Hey," he said with a smile as they headed for the parking lots.

"Hey, yourself," Fiona replied, cheerfully. "So I told Millie in tech support we'd join her and her husband, Eric, for dinner at this new place tonight."

"I was hoping to get a workout in tonight," Dean said, not really eager to spend an evening with Eric Kripke and his 1,001 movie references. Although, Millie was hot and she did like to talk business.

"Lighten up, hubby," Fiona insisted as she and Dean came to her 2008 Chevy Impala. As she opened the door, Fiona gave Dean a quick kiss and got in, rolling down the window as she turned on the engine, her favorite classic rock music blaring from the radio. As she left the lot, she wondered when Dean would get the stick out of his ass.

* * *

><p>When Sam got back to his apartment that night, he felt his mind spinning as thoughts and memories hit him like a freakin' tidal wave. He knew he'd seen that guy in the elevator before at work but in these visions or whatever, the two of them battled monsters and ghosts.<p>

But that was insane! Ghosts weren't real, were they?

Sam went to his fridge and pulled out a beer, an image popping into his head of sitting on a cooler next to a classic car while Elevator Guy worked on the engine. But that didn't make any sense. Elevator Guy didn't look like he'd _ever_ get his hands dirty working on a car. Sam knew what car guys looked like. Hell, working on cars was Sam's number one hobby. Except that didn't feel right.

Grabbing a beer and the leftover pizza in the fridge, Sam settled down on the couch and ate, letting himself drift in the sea of memories that may or may not be real.

* * *

><p>Getting to work early the next morning, Fiona headed for the break room for a quick cup of coffee and stopped dead when she saw one of the tech support guys lying dead next to the counter. There was a seriously disgusting smell in the air and slowly, Fiona went closer, feeling like she was about to gag when she saw that the guy had apparently tried to microwave his own head.<p>

Backing away, she pulled out her cell phone and called 911. When she hung up, she pulled up her phone directory and punched in Dean's number. "Dean?" she said, ashamed to hear the word come out as a sob. "I need you to get to the office. Like, _now_."

xxx

Hearing Fiona sounding like she was 5 seconds from either breaking down in tears or screaming in panic, Dean rushed out of the house and to his car, surprising himself as he broke probably every single speed limit between home and the office.

Parking in his usual spot, Dean hurried into the Sandover building, stopping when he saw the police swarming the ground floor and the EMTs carrying out a body on a stretcher.

"Excuse me, sir," one of the police officers said as he saw Dean trying to head towards the break room. "You can't go in there. It's a crime scene."

"I'm looking for my wife," Dean explained, looking around for Fiona. "She was in early."

"Dean!"

Dean turned and nearly dropped his briefcase when Fiona suddenly dashed up to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Putting a comforting arm around her, he said, "It's okay, Fi. It's over." Suddenly, Dean had an image of he and Fiona as kids and he was comforting her after a bad dream. Looking up, he caught sight of the tech guy from the elevator the previous day. The two exchanged looks and Dean felt a sudden flash of unexplained familiarity.

After leading Fiona up to his office and giving her a bottle of water, Dean sat on a corner of his desk, watching her as she took a few sips. "You okay?" Dean asked, cautiously.

"Yeah," Fiona said, frowning a bit. "Does this… Does this seem not right to you?"

Dean frowned as well, but as he thought about it he realized that Fiona had a point. "Yeah, this whole thing," he muttered, standing up and going behind his desk, bringing up the employee database. "What was the guy's name?"

"Dunbar," Fiona replied, as she went to look over Dean's shoulder. "Paul Dunbar." After a second, she said, "Does this feel… familiar to you?"

Dean hesitated, but didn't reply. But for some reason, it did feel as though they'd done this before. Bringing up Paul's profile, Dean leaned back in his chair. "He was due to retire in two weeks."

"What?" Fiona said, leaning closer, her nose crinkling as she thought she smelled something strange. She shrugged it off at first, figuring Dean had just been using a new cologne. But since when did he use cologne that smelled like leather and gunpowder? Straightening up, Fiona sighed and said, "I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later, Dean."

"Watch yourself, Fi," Dean said, looking up at her as she headed for the door.

Fiona paused, and then looked at Dean. "You've never called me 'Fi' before today."

"You don't want me to call you that?" Dean asked, a bit puzzled.

"No, it's fine," Fiona insisted as she left.

Dean waited until his wife had left before returning to work. But while he wanted to just get back to work and ignore all of this weirdness, something inside him was letting him to investigate this. "Investigate _what_?" Dean muttered to himself as he stared at the paperwork on his desk.

Something about all this was totally freaky and at the same time… not.

xxxxx

As Sam sat at his desk, something about this whole situation didn't seem right. No one in their right mind would off themselves mere weeks before they retired.

And then there was Ian who had suddenly had the fear of God put in him by someone in Human Resources the day before he stabbed himself in the neck with a pencil.

Hearing his phone ring, Sam picked up and answered, "Tech support—this is Sam."

"I need to see you in my office," said the voice on the other end. "Now. Name's Dean Smith."

Dean…

'_We're not kids anymore, Dean!'_

'_Dean, what do you think you're doing?'_

'_You're not going to Hell, Dean.'_

Sam shook off the… the whatever it was and grabbed his satchel, heading up stairs and to Dean's office where the sales and marketing director was changing shirts. "Come on in and close the door," Dean said, quickly. When Sam had done so, Dean leaned on the back of the chair, feeling like his world had suddenly been thrown into complete chaos. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"Not sure I know," Sam replied, glad to see that he wasn't the only one feeling like he was losing his mind.

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean asked. He'd been hoping for a simple answer to this whole thing.

"Sam Wesson," the other man replied. "I started here three weeks ago."

"Okay," Dean said, slowly, trying to run everything through his head. "You cornered me in the elevator the other day, talking about ghosts. And now…"

"Now what?" Sam asked, studying Dean closely.

But Dean seemed anxious and he tried to change the subject. "So you started here three weeks ago, huh? Me, too."

After a moment, Sam could tell that Dean was rattled and finally asked, "When you were in that bathroom with Ian, did you see something?"

"I don't know," Dean said, nervously. "I don't know what I saw." Maybe this was just all part of him having some sort of breakdown.

"Wait," Sam said, realizing that he was right. "Are you saying that you…? Did you see a ghost?"

"I was freaking out," Dean explained. "The guy penciled his damn _neck_!"

"You did, didn't you?" Sam pressed, eagerly. Seeing an opportunity to go with the theory that had been bugging him lately, he said, "Okay, what if these suicides _aren't_ suicides? What if they're something not natural?"

"So, what? Ghosts are real and they're responsible for all the dead bodies around here?" Dean asked, skeptically as he sat down, watching Sam do the same. "Is that what you're telling me?"

"I know it sounds crazy," Sam said, eagerly. "But, yes. That's what I'm telling you."

"Based on what?" Dean asked, curiously.

"Instinct?" Sam replied with a shrug.

Dean couldn't believe it. Something in his gut had been screaming about ghosts and monsters from the start and now he found someone who had the same feelings. "I've got the same instinct," he admitted. It felt good to get that off his chest. Taking a moment, Dean finally said, "Okay, so what's connecting these deaths? Other than the fact that they're weird, freaky, and likely caused by a friggin' ghost?"

"Well, I've been digging around a little," Sam said, pulling out two emails and handing them to Dean. "I think I found a connection between the two guys."

"You broke into their email accounts?" Dean asked, a bit impressed. This guy had mad skills—what was he doing in a dead-end cubicle job?

"I used some skills that I happen to have to satisfy my own curiosity," Sam replied, evasively, hoping he wasn't about to be busted for illegal activity. But Dean actually seemed to approve and encouraged by that, Sam went on with what he'd found. "Okay, so it turns out that Ian and Paul both got this same email telling them to report to HR, room 1444."

"HR's on 7," Dean corrected.

"Exactly," Sam said, with a knowing look.

Dean thought about the situation for a moment and finally asked, "Should we check this out?"

Sam seemed surprised at the question. For some reason he felt like it should have been him asking. "Like… right now?"

"No, it's getting late," Dean said, quickly as common sense took over. "You're right."

But when Sam met Dean's eyes, he said, "I am _dying_ to check this out right now."

It was like something inside Dean finally busted loose as he jumped right on the plan. "Right?" He jumped up quickly but catching a glance at the photo of Fiona on the desk, he looked at Sam. "Give me a second, will you?"

Sam nodded and headed out of the office, going to wait by the elevator for Dean who joined him a minute later. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Dean said quickly as he and Sam got into the elevator and headed up to the 14th floor. "Just letting the little lady know I'll be home late."

"You're married?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Three years," Dean replied, casually. "Yeah, but we've known each other practically our whole lives, you know? Childhood sweethearts," he added with a sad smile.

Before Sam could ask anything else, though, the elevator doors opened and they headed down the hallway, pausing for a second when they heard crashing and screaming. Running for a door down the hall, Sam and Dean tried the knob but the door was locked. Without another thought, Sam raised one foot and kicked the door down.

"Whoa," Dean said, shocked by Sam's feat of strength.

Sam just shrugged as he saw one of the other tech guys pinned beneath a metal bookcase. Hurrying over, Dean hot on his heels, Sam was suddenly thrown against another group of shelves and landed on the ground. Looking up, Sam saw the ghost of an old man start reaching out a hand to the tech pinned beneath the shelves. But before he could do anything, Dean had grabbed a wrench and swung it at the ghost, dispelling the spirit.

After the other tech guy was free, Sam looked incredulously at Dean. "How'd you know how to do that?"

"I have no idea," Dean said, surprised at his own strength. But it was it was what his instincts told him to do…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

15 minutes later, Dean opened the door to his apartment and let Sam in.

"There you are, Dean," Fiona said, coming into the living room from the kitchen. She stopped dead when she saw Sam who was unable to cover up his awkwardness at being in the same room with his lover and her husband.

"You will _not_ believe what just happened to us, Fi," Dean said as he made a beeline for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of the organic green tea cleanse he'd been on the past few weeks. "Holy crap, dude," Dean said as he passed Sam who was leaning against the back of the black leather sofa.

"Yeah," Sam said, his mind reeling from his paranormal encounter. "I could use a—" He broke off when Fiona suddenly appeared at his elbow, holding out a bottle. "—beer," he finished, looking a bit puzzled. "How did you know what…?"

Fiona was about to take a sip of her beer when she paused, a sudden feeling of déjà vu. Frowning, she muttered, "Habit." Taking a long swig of her beer, she asked, "So what have you two been up to?"

"Believe it or not, we were after a ghost," Dean replied as he anxiously paced the living room.

"Hey, by the way," Sam said, something occurring to him as he looked at Dean. "How the hell'd you know ghosts are scared of wrenches?"

"I know," Dean said with a laugh. "Crazy, right?"

"It's not wrenches, it's iron," Fiona piped up, although she wasn't quite sure how she knew that. After downing the rest of her beer, she said, "Okay, so a ghost. Ghost of what?"

"Sure wasn't the Ghost of Christmas Past, I know that much," Dean muttered, trying not to look at the second beer Fiona was pulling out of the mini-fridge in the liquor cabinet.

"Well, let's start with research," Sam suggested. "History of the building, maybe?"

"Okay, good," Dean said, starting to feel like there was a plan. He liked it when there was a plan. And at the same time, he just wanted to go back to the office and kick that ghost's ass. "I'll start on that."

"I'll take a look online and see if there's any way to kill a ghost," Fiona volunteered as she went to the kitchen and grabbed the menu from her favorite take-out place. "Sam, what do you want? I'm ordering take-out."

Sam frowned, not sure. "Just, uh… whatever, I guess. I'm not picky."

Fiona nodded and went to make the call while Sam set up his own laptop while Dean went to his computer and started doing research. Looking over at Sam who had a 'puzzled/lost-in-thought' look, he asked, "You okay?"

"It's just…" Sam wasn't sure how to explain it. "It's like… when I kicked in that door. I-I just felt like I'd done it before." Looking from Dean to Fiona, he added, "Like _we've_ done this before."

"You mean like… Shirley McLaine before?" Dean asked, even though part of him felt the same way. And the way Fiona seemed to be taking charge a little.

"I-I just can't shake this feeling like I don't belong here, you know? Like…" Looking over at Fiona, he lowered his voice and said, "Like things are all messed up. Like the… the pieces don't fit the puzzle, you know?"

Dean understood exactly what Sam was saying. It was like lately, he thought of Fiona as a sister and a best friend, rather than a wife.

xxx

When Fiona returned from picking up dinner, she found Sam and Dean working on a plan. "What do we got, boys?"

Sam shrugged as Fiona handed him his dinner. "Well, it looks like our ghost is P.T. Sandover, himself. Turns out the room Ian and Paul were sent to before they dies used to be the old man's office."

"Great," Fiona muttered, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before handing Dean his salad. "So how do we kill a ghost?"

"I might have a lead on that," Dean replied with a smile. "Found this site run by actual ghost hunters. Best weapons are salt and iron and the only way to destroy the ghost is to burn the remains. Now, Sandover was cremated, but we're hoping there's still remains or something with the guy's DNA."

"Okay, then," Fiona said, putting her seafood salad in the fridge. "Eat quick. I'm going to go change back into my uniform."

Exchanging confused looks before turning to Fiona, Sam and Dean asked in unison, "Why?"

"Uh, let's see…" Fiona said in a mock-thoughtful tone. "You're going back to the office after hours to rummage around where you don't belong to find remains of the dead founder of the company so you can burn them and destroy Sandover's ghost. You're right. Why would you possibly need someone in security to cover your asses?"

"She makes a good point," Dean said to Sam as Fiona went back to the bedroom.

"Yeah, I guess," Sam said, under his breath.

* * *

><p>Back at the office, Sam and Fiona went back up to the 14th floor while Dean went up to the 22nd. Knowing that Sandover was the ghost, Dean figured that maybe the company dedication wall on his office floor might yield a clue as to what might be tying Sandover to the building.<p>

As soon as Dean saw the wall, he spotted what he, Sam, and Fiona were looking for. Using the walkie-talkie feature on his phone, Dean called Fiona and when she picked up, he said, "Hey, I think I got it. Meet me on 22."

"Okay, we're headed up," Fiona assured him.

While he was waiting for the others, Dean couldn't help wondering at how crazy this whole this was. He didn't hunt ghosts! He was a businessman! He had a wife, parents, a sister… So why was there this feeling of doubt in his stomach?

When Sam and Fiona got there, they both looked at Dean before all three grabbed one of the iron fireplace pokers from the bag Dean had dropped by his feet.

Pointing at the gloves in the glass case, Dean said, "Think maybe there's a little smidge of DNA in there, huh?"

"Let's give it a whirl," Sam said, raising his poker and breaking the glass.

Immediately, the air turned cold and all three tightened their grips on their weapons, but before they could prepare for anything, Sandover appeared, throwing Dean against one wall before flinging Sam against another wall.

Fiona dove out of the way, swinging her poker at the ghost's legs, dispelling it for a moment. She and Dean scrambled to their feet when Sandover went for Sam, but Sam quickly flung salt at the spirit, dispelling it again. Getting to his feet, Sam shouted a warning before tossing one of the pokers to Dean who took a swing at the ghosts.

"Nice catch," Sam said, impressed, as he got to his feet.

"Right?" Dean said, feeling a thrill of exhilaration.

"Pat yourselves on the back later," Fiona snapped, going for the gloves but getting thrown back against the wall.

But Sam and Dean wasted no time in taking swings at Sandover to keep his occupied while Fiona scrambled on her hands and knees over to the gloves, grabbing her lighter out of her pocket.

When Sandover's ghost burned up, Sam and Dean looked at one another before looking at Fiona who was slowly getting to her feet again. "Okay…" Fiona said, slowly as she flung the burning gloves to the ground. "That… was awesome!"

"I know, right?" Dean said, grinning. Looking at Sam, he said, "Right?"

All Sam could do was nod his agreement.

x

Back in Dean's office, Fiona pulled out the small first aid kit he kept in his desk and opening it, nabbed a gauze bad, pressing it to the cut on Dean's forehead. "Hold that there before you bleed to death."

Clearing his throat, Sam waited until Dean and Fiona looked at him. "Um… I have a confession to make."

"What?" Dean asked, looking from Sam to Fiona. Catching his wife's look, Dean groaned. "Oh, God, you _are_ having an affair, aren't you?" he said, giving Fiona a look. Pointing to Sam, Dean asked, "With him?"

"Look, I'm sure you're upset—" Fiona began, expecting a lot of yelling from Dean.

But Dean didn't yell at all. "I'm not upset," he assured Fiona as he sat on the edge of his desk. "I mean, I know I should be upset, but… But I'm not. Fiona, you and I have been best friends since we were kids. I-I've always just wanted you to be happy."

"So… You're okay with me sleeping with your wife," Sam said, slowly. Standing up and pacing for a minute, he finally stopped and looked at the others and said, "Look, I'm just going to say it. What we did back there… it felt _right_. Like it's what we're _supposed to_ be doing. I know that deep down, you guys have to be feeling the same way."

"Look, I know who I am, alright?" Dean argued, not wanting to face the reality that Sam was right. "I'm Dean Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing. I went to Stanford. My father's name is Bob, my mother's name is Ellen, and my sister's name is Jo."

"Stop it!" Fiona snapped, suddenly. Turning to Dean, she just said, "I'm going home. I'll see you later."

Once Fiona was gone, Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Looking at Sam, he said, "Look… whatever you think we _should _be doing… It doesn't matter, okay? And I-I'd be lying if I said you were wrong. But what can we do about it, huh? Just uproot our lives and travel the country, fighting monsters? What about money? Huh? Or a place to live? I seriously doubt monster fighting had health insurance."

"Yeah, I guess," Sam muttered, dejectedly. As he headed for the door, he stopped and turned back to Dean. "What about Fiona?"

Dean had almost forgotten about that particular revelation and he sighed, not sure what he wanted to do. "We'll talk about it later."

Sam just nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>When Dean got home some hours later, Fiona was already in bed.<p>

He sat on the couch, staring out at the city. He had his memories, the ones of Jo and his parents, but they didn't truly seem real. Not like the memories he had of Fiona when they were kids. Those alone felt genuine.

What was he really meant to do? Sam had been right, more than he knew. Dean had known it from the second he'd swung that wrench. He'd had feelings and instincts, but the second his fingers had touched the metal, it was like a switch was flipped on and long dormant skills and strengths came back to life.

For the first time in six months, Dean went to the liquor cabinet and opened the mini-fridge. After a long pause, he withdrew a beer and popped the top, downing almost half the bottle in one go.

* * *

><p>After the action of the previous night, Sam felt even more confined than ever as he sat in his cubicle, staring at the incessantly ringing phones. He remembered how he felt as he fought Sandover's ghost and whether or not Sam kept facing ghosts, he knew that he couldn't figure out his life trapped by three walls.<p>

Reaching for the iron fireplace poker he'd left by his desk last night, Sam pulled off his headset and stood, pausing for only a moment before he swung the poker at the phone repeatedly before dropping the poker and turning to the room at large. "I quit," he said, calmly, before collecting his meager possessions and walking out of the room.

x

Upstairs, Dean engrossed himself in his work, trying not to think about the morning when his alarm had gone off. Fiona was gone, leaving only a note and freshly printed out divorce forms.

After that, Dean broke his ban on caffeine and made himself a double espresso.

xx

It was terrible. Last week, he'd been happy, looking forward to moving up in the company and now… Running a hand over his face, wearily, he realized that he was now facing a job he'd be forever questioning, a divorce from a marriage that had never felt real in the first place…

Hearing a knock on his office door, Dean looked up to see Adler standing there.

"Got a minute?" Zach said as he came in.

"Sure," Dean said, saving the memo he'd been drafting. "Of course."

"You feeling okay?" Zach asked, looking a bit concerned. "You look a little tired."

"Long night," Dean said casually. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Wild time with the missus?" Zach guessed with a smirk.

"Not so much," Dean admitted. After a moment, he met his boss's eyes and said, "Look, I, uh… I need to, uh… I need to give my notice."

"This is a joke," Zach said, leaning forward. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No," Dean replied, thinking through how to phrase it. "I don't know what I'm really meant to do, but… But I know it's not this. This isn't who I am." Dean had expected his boss to look disapproving, but instead the other man looked pleased.

"Dean, Dean, Dean…" Zach said, with a smile. "_Finally_." Reaching forward with two fingers extended, he touched the younger man's forehead, restoring Dean's true memories.

"What the Hell?" Dean said, taking in the strange surroundings. "Why am I wearing a—" He broke off when his stomach gave a nearly audible growl. "My _God,_ am I hungry!" Getting up from his chair, he studied the man in front of him. "You're an angel, aren't you?"

The angel nodded. "I'm Zachariah."

"Great," Dean muttered, sarcastically. "That's all I need—another one of you guys."

"I'm hardly another one," Zachariah corrected. "I'm Castiel's superior." Looking at the vessel he was possessing before looking back at Dean, he added, "Believe me, I had no intention of popping down into one of these smelly things, but after the unfortunate situation with Uriel, I felt it necessary to pay a visit."

"Well, thanks for coming," Dean said, snidely. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Dean, this was all to prove a point," Zachariah explained, calmly. "Being a hunter is in your blood. It's who you are and you'll find your way to it in the dark every time." Taking a step away from the desk, he gestured to the office. "You could have a far worse existence, Dean. And it's time you stop looking at the negative and focus on what's in front of you."

"So, what?" Dean snapped, still feeling pissed. "This has been some whole '_It's a Wonderful Life_' game to you?"

"Call it what you will," the angel said with a shrug. "But learn the lesson, Dean. You can either be just another useless human stuck in a mindless existence or you can step up and become someone of significance."

Dean just stood silent for a moment but after a while, he said, "Just tell me I'm imagining that I was actually married to Fi."

Zachariah frowned slightly. "You two are close. It seemed to fit."

"Dude!" Dean said, suddenly feeling like he needed a long shower. "She's practically my sister!"

"Oh," the angel said, with a shrug. "Well, nothing I can do about it."

Dean opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, Zachariah was gone. Yanking off the tie and unbuttoning the top button on his shirt, Dean felt his stomach growl again. That was it. The first diner he came to, he was buying the biggest burger on the menu.


	6. The Monster at the End of This Book

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I am in no way claiming this chapter as one of my best. But I told myself I had to do this episode so I did.

As far as the NCIS reference at the start of this chapter, this takes place just after the episode 'Judgement Day' FYI.

Chapter 6

* * *

><p><em>The Monster at the End of This Book<em>

* * *

><p>More than anything, Fiona Brendon hated funerals.<p>

Maybe it was all she saw as a hunter, but the idea of saying good bye to someone by burying them in the ground made no sense.

But when Gibbs called her, asking her to come down to DC for the funeral of NCIS Director Jennifer Sheppard, Fiona didn't hesitate and headed down the next day after giving Sam and Dean a heads-up.

* * *

><p>Pulling up to the motel where Dean and Sam were currently staying a few days later, Fiona was surprised to see the boys pull into the parking lot a few moments later. When they parked and got out of the car, she saw a shopping bag in Sam's hand with about 10 paperback books. "What's all this?" she asked, pointing to the bag.<p>

"Oh, you're not going to believe this one, Fi," Dean said, shaking his head as he went to the door of the motel and unlocked it, holding the door open for Sam and Fiona before going in and locking the door again.

"So tell me," Fiona said, dropping her overnight bag on one bed and sitting down, looking at the brothers.

Sam dug one of the books out of the bag and tossed it to Fiona. "Better see for yourself," he said, looking a bit bemused.

Fiona caught the book, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at the cover. "What the…? 'Supernatural' by Carver Edland," she read. Flipping through the book, she stopped near the beginning and read aloud, "'Sam couldn't believe that he was once again sitting next to his brother in the old '67 Chevy Impala. He'd sworn that he was done hunting and until today he had hopes for getting into law school and settling down with his girlfriend, Jessica. Looking over at his brother, Dean, Sam asked, "So are we picking up Fiona, too?" But Dean shook his head, regretfully. "Fiver's over in—"'"

Fiona stopped and looked up at Sam and Dean, shocked. "Wait, how the hell does this guy know about this?"

"No idea," Sam said, shaking his head as he and Dean changed back into their regular clothes while Fiona continued reading to herself. Getting on his computer, Sam managed to find a fan site for the books and said, "Looks like they've got an underground following. Couple dozen in publication."

"Okay, this is creepy," Fiona added, as she looked up from one of the other books. Looking at the others, she said, "Listen to this: 'James knocked on the door of his daughter's townhouse, hoping Fiona was home. He knew she was on leave and he prayed she was available for a hunt. John had called him only days before, reporting that he had a solid lead on his wife, Mary's, killer.'"

"Let me see that," Dean said, quickly, snatching the book out of Fiona's hands. Reading a head for a minute or two he looked up. "What is this? How's this guy know all this stuff?"

"You got me," Sam said, from behind his computer.

"And how come we haven't heard about 'em before?" Fi asked.

"They're pretty obscure," Sam explained as Dean sat on the bed next to Fiona. "Almost zero circulation. Publisher put out 24 of the books before going bankrupt and the last one 'No Rest For the Wicked' ends with Dean going to Hell."

Joining Sam at the table, Dean took the laptop for a moment and scrolled through the fan comments. "Oh, check it out: there's actually fans. There's not many of them, but still." Glancing at Sam, he asked, "Did you read this?" At Sam's affirmative, Dean read over some of the comments, amused as he reported, "There's SamGirls and DeanGirls and…" Frowning, he asked, "What the hell are Sionas, Feaners, and Slash fans?"

"Sam/Fiona fans, Fiona/Dean fans, and Sam/Dean fans," Sam explained, looking weirded out.

"Wait," Fiona said, feeling a bit sick. "You and Dean. As in… together? Like _together_ together?"

"Wait, they do know you and I are _brothers_, right?" Dean asked Sam, feeling his stomach turn.

"Doesn't seem to matter," Sam replied with a shrug and a disturbed look.

"Okay, that's going to scar me for life," Fiona muttered, her head already filling with images of Sam and Dean—She gave an unconscious shudder at the thought.

"Now you know how I feel when you and Sam are together," Dean said with a grim smile.

"It's actually interesting," Sam went on, taking the computer back. "Fi's mentioned repeatedly throughout the series, but it looks like there aren't many actual scenes with her." Doing a little digging, he added, "It looks like Carver Edland is a penname, though. No tax records, no known address…"

"Well, someone has to know who this guy is," Fiona said, standing up. "What about the publisher?"

Sam did some digging and a few minutes later, came up with a name. "Terri O'Neill. She's got a local address."

"Then let's go pay her a visit," Dean said, getting up from his chair.

"And tell her what?" Sam asked, scoffing. "That we're the real Sam and Dean?"

"That we are big fans who want to publish an article on the 'Supernatural' books," Dean replied with a smile. "If this chick believes us, maybe we can convince her to give up Carver Edland's real name."

xxxxxxx

Dean felt like he was in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone' when he walked into the office of Terri O'Neill. The whole place was like some freaky shrine to the Winchesters' lives.

Even Fi looked weirded out as she looked around. "So, you published the 'Supernatural' books?" she asked, casually.

"Yeah," Terri said, going to her desk. "God, these books. They never got the attention they deserved, you know?"

"Well," Sam said, going with the cover story Dean had come up with. "We're hoping our article can shine a light on an underappreciated series."

"Yeah," Terri said, eagerly. "You know, cause if we got a little bit of good press maybe we could start publishing again!"

"No, no, no, no," Dean said, quickly. "Why would you want to do that?" After a second of mentally slapping himself, he forced a smile and added, "Well, I mean it's such a complete series. Dean going to Hell and all."

"Oh, my Gosh!" Terri exclaimed. "That was one of my favorite ones! Because Dean was so brave and strong… And Sam. When he had to kill Madison, the first woman he'd really loved since Jessica…"

"What about Fiona?" Fi asked, curiously. "I mean, from the books it sounds like she and Sam were really close."

To Dean's surprise, Terri's eyes lit up. "I know, right?" the publisher said. "I mean everyone talks about Sam and Dean, but Fiona? And in a few of the books she wasn't even mentioned at all. But she was the glue that held them together."

"Well, as fans, we're hoping you could share some details with us," Sam went on, giving Terri a smile.

"How do I know you three are legit?" Terri asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Oh, trust me," Dean said, grinning. "We're legit."

"You've read the books," Terri assumed.

"Cover to cover," Dean assured her.

"What's the year and model of the car?" Terri asked, starting off with an easy question.

"It's a 1967 Chevy Impala," Dean replied, smiling as he thought of his baby.

"What's May 2nd?"

"That's m—uh, that's Sam's birthday," Sam replied, catching himself.

"January 24th is Dean's," Dean threw in.

"And November 3rd is Fiona's," Fi added with a smile.

Terri raised an eyebrow impressed. Fiona's birthday had only the briefest of mentions in the book 'Scarecrow' and most people missed it during trivia contests. But testing to see how much these guys really knew, she asked, "Sam's score on the LSAT?"

Sam thought back and replied, "174."

"Dean's favorite song," Terri said, thinking of another thing that usually tripped up even the most diehard fans.

"It's a tie," Dean replied, still smiling. "Between Zep's 'Ramblin' On' and 'Travelin' Riverside Blues'."

"Sam, Dean, and Fiona's nicknames from 'Watership Down'?" Terri with a smile, knowing that fans liked to switch the names.

"Dean's is Bigwig, Sam's is Hazel, and Fiona's is Fiver," Fi recited, easily. "Which is funny, since Fiver's the one with the psychic visions."

"Okay," Terri said, satisfied that she wasn't just dealing with a trio of nutcases. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

"What's Carver Edland's real name?" Sam asked, cutting to the chase.

"Oh, no," Terri said, quickly. "Sorry, I can't—"

"We just want to talk to him," Sam insisted, hoping that they could talk the publisher into giving them the name. "You know, get the 'Supernatural' story in his own words."

"He's very private," Terri said, hoping she could talk her way out of this. 'Private'? Try reclusive nutjob!

"Please," Sam said, feeling a bit desperate. "Like I said," he added, pulling down his shirt to expose the anti-possession tattoo on his clavicle. "We are big, big fans." After a moment, Dean did likewise before both he and Sam turned to Fiona who rolled her eyes before turning around and shedding her jacket which she handed to Sam. With one hand, she lifted the back of her shirt and with the other, she pulled down the back of her jeans, exposing a tattoo of Hazel, Fiver, and Bigwig from the movie 'Watership Down' on her tailbone.

Looking closely, Dean saw that Bigwig even had the amulet around his neck. Straightening up quickly as Fiona turned, he noticed that Sam didn't seem surprised by either the tattoo or its placement.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

After getting the name, Dean, Sam, and Fiona made for the residence of Chuck Shurley. When they finally found the address, they got out of the Impala and approached the ramshackle house with trepidation, unsure of what they would find inside.

"I don't know what this place needs more," Fi said under her breath as she and the boys headed for the front steps. "A landscaper or a bulldozer."

As they walked up to the front door, Sam and Dean exchanged looks, each wondering what was in store but after rolling her eyes, Fi was the one who stabbed the doorbell before taking a step back.

When the door opened, Fiona simply raised an eyebrow at the disheveled man wearing a white shirt, old boxer shorts, and a black and gray bathrobe that had seen better days. "Chuck Shurley?" She asked, surprised that _this_ was the so-called 'genius' writer.

"The Chuck Shurley who wrote the 'Supernatural' books?" Sam asked, also wary about whether or not this was the man they were looking for.

"Maybe," Chuck said, hesitantly. "Why?"

Dean didn't waste any time with small talk and jumped right in. "I'm Dean, this is Sam and Fi. The same Dean, Sam, and Fiona you've been writing about."

Chuck gave them an indulgent smile and started to close the door, but he stopped for a second as his mind suddenly registered something. Opening the door, he narrowed his eyes and looked from Sam and Dean to Fiona. "Wait, did you… Did you say 'Fi'?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, frowning a bit as he wondered about the significance of the question. But mentally running through what he'd read of the books, he couldn't remember ever actually seeing Fiona's common nickname in them anywhere.

Chuck looked hesitant as he studied the three people who had come to his house. "Wh-Who are you?"

"I'm Sam Winchester, this is my brother, Dean," Sam replied, before pointing to Fiona. "And this is Fiona Brendon."

"Last names were never in the books," Chuck said, the disbelief on his face fading a bit, even though he clearly wanted to know what was going on. "I never even wrote that down."

"Look, we have some questions for you, Chuck," Dean said, shortly using the foot or so he had on the writer height-wise to intimidate. "Starting with how the hell you know all this and ending with what else do you know that's not in the books?"

"What?" Chuck asked, confused. "What do you mean? Like… like what?"

"Like the angels," Sam suggested, quickly. "Or Lilith breaking the seals…"

"Wait, how do _you_ know about that?" Chuck asked, now entirely out of his depth. "I-I mean I kept writing, but those books were never published." He turned to go back inside and the others followed cautiously, watching the writer as he went to the open bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass before tossing it back. "Oh!" Chuck groaned as he turned around to see Dean, Sam, and Fiona standing by the desk. "You're still there."

"Yep," Dean confirmed, his tone humorless.

"You're not a hallucination," Chuck decided.

"Nope," Dean replied, shaking his head.

"Well, then there's one explanation," Chuck said, thinking about what was going on. "Obviously, I'm a god," he concluded.

"You're not a god," Sam said, firmly.

"How else do you explain it?" Chuck wanted to know. "I write things and then they come to life? No, I'm definitely a god." Although as he ran over the books and thought all about the things he'd written, he cringed. "A cruel, cruel, capricious god." Looking at the three, he frowned. "The things I put you through. The physical beatings alone."

"We're still in one piece," Dean assured Chuck. Although if the writer was right, Dean was fairly certain he didn't want to know.

But Chuck was still griping as he continued. "I killed both your fathers," he said, looking from Fiona to Sam and Dean. "I burned your mother alive. And then you had to go through the whole horrific deal again with Jessica," he added, looking at Sam.

"Chuck," Sam said, warningly. True, it had been years since his girlfriend had died, but the memory still burned painfully.

"Chuck, you're not a god," Dean said, firmly. He could see his brother tensing and he didn't have to be psychic to know that Sam was thinking of going after Chuck and literally beating the truth out of him.

"You're probably just psychic," Fiona said, putting a hand on Sam's arm.

"If I were psychic, you think I'd be writing?" Chuck scoffed, doubtfully. "Writing is hard."

"Look, somehow you're just focused on our lives," Sam went on.

"Yeah, like laser-focused," Dean added, still feeling weirded out by the whole thing. Catching Chuck's squirrelly look, Dean narrowed his eyes. "Are you working on anything right now?"

"Holy crap," Chuck sighed, a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

"What?" Sam asked, not liking the look on the writer's face.

Chuck picked up what he'd written so far and said, hesitantly, "The latest book, it's, uh… it's kinda weird."

"Weird how?" Sam asked, leaning on the desk.

"I wrote myself into the book," Chuck explained. "I wrote myself in my house, confronted by my characters."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks with Fi as Chuck handed Sam a small stack of printed pages. "Is this all you have?" Dean asked, looking at the pages.

"So far," Chuck muttered, not looking at the others.

x

After leaving Chuck's house, Sam, Dean, and Fiona got back in the car, Sam sitting in the passenger seat and Dean driving while Fi sat in the back seat, reading the pages Chuck had given them.

"Okay, so what now?" Dean asked, heading back to their motel.

"No idea," Sam admitted, thinking over the situation with the books and that some writer knew everything about their lives.

"Well, our stuff's getting a little ripe," Dean muttered, keeping an eye out for a laundromat. "Should probably do a few loads."

"West and Dixon," Fiona piped up as she continued reading. When Dean gave her a 'how'd you know that?' look, she shrugged and held up the partial book.

"Alright then," Dean muttered, chalking this up as the strangest case ever.

xxxxx

Half an hour later, Dean was sitting on a bench reading as Fiona and Sam threw clothes into two of the washing machines. "I'm sitting in a laundromat reading about myself sitting in a laundromat reading about myself," Dean said out loud. "My head hurts."

"There's got to be something he's not telling us," Sam said, trying to hide his embarrassment as he found one of Fiona's bras in his pile of clothes.

"'Sam tossed his gigantic darks into the machine'," Dean read aloud. "'He was starting to have doubts about Chuck—about whether he was telling the whole truth.'"

"Stop it," Sam said, getting annoyed.

"'"Stop it," Sam said,'" Dean went on, looking up with an amused look. "Guess what you do next?"

Sam frowned, not in the mood to play along and turned to continue loading his shirts into the washer.

Dean picked up reading where he'd left off. "'Sam turned his back on Dean, his face brooding and pensive.'" Still amazed at the accuracy of the writing, he said, "I mean, I don't know how he's doing it but the guy's doing it." With a smirk, he added, "I can't see your face, Sammy, but those are definitely your 'brooding and pensive' shoulders." Glancing back down at the pages, Dean's brow furrowed when he read the next line at the same time he heard his brother's exasperated sigh. "You just thought I was a dick," Dean said, looking up at Sam.

"Guy's good," Fiona said, as she threw the last of her things into one of the washers.

"By the way," Dean added, smirking at Fi. "The bra and panties you're missing? They're in Sam's laundry."

Fiona turned to Sam and smacked him hard in the upper arm. Turning back to the clean stuff she'd pulled out of the dryer, she head Sam say, "Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean replied, automatically.

Looking over her shoulder to see both Winchesters looking at her, she shook her head as she turned back to her clothes. "Assbutts," she muttered, audibly.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The trio had just had just returned to the motel when Dean's cell phone rang. Staring in surprise at the name on the caller ID, he paused for a moment before answering. "Chuck?" he said, catching the astounded looks from Sam and Fiona. "How the hell did you get this number?" After a moment, Dean nodded, slowly. "Okay. Uh, sure. Be there soon." Hanging up, he looked at his brother and best friend. "Chuck's been doing some more writing since we left," he said, pointedly. "He's got something for us."

With Dean driving, they made it back to the house in no time at all and found Chuck looking even more anxious than before.

"So you wrote another chapter?" Dean prompted, looking at the pages in Chuck's hands.

"Yeah," Chuck replied, nervously as he looked at Dean. "And you especially are not going to like this."

"I didn't like Hell," Dean replied.

"It's Lilith," Chuck said, regretfully. Dean looked a bit startled at that and tensed as the writer added, "She's coming for Sam and Fiona."

"Great," Fiona said, eagerly, straightening up from where she'd been leaning against the door frame.

"No," Dean said, quickly. "Not great." Looking at Chuck, he asked, "When?"

"Tonight," Chuck replied.

"So she's just going to show up here?" Dean asked, barely concealing the panic rising up.

Chuck sat down on his old couch and rifled through the newest pages of the latest book. Finding the spot he was looking for, he started to read aloud. "'Lilith patted the bed seductively. Unable to repress his desire, Sam succumbed, and they sank into the throes of fiery, demonic passion.'"

Dean wasn't sure which feeling which was stronger right then: the panic at the idea of Lilith in town and after Sam and Fi, or the cringe-worthy idea of Sam and Lilith in—no, he couldn't even _think_ it. To his surprise, he heard Sam laugh.

Sam turned to Chuck and said, "You're kidding, right?"

"You think this is funny?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"And you don't?" Sam said, clearly amused. "I mean, come on! 'Fiery, demonic passion'?"

"It's just a first draft," Chuck said, defending his phrasing.

"Wait, Lilith is a little girl," Dean interjected, suddenly confused.

"No," Chuck corrected, looking through the pages. "This time she's a comely dental hygienist from Bloomington, Indiana."

"Still not worried," Fiona assured Dean who looked like he was close to freaking out about the whole thing. "Lilith tries putting any moves on Sam, she'll be a hood ornament for the Impala."

"Whoa, whoa! Let's not go overboard here," Dean said, quickly. When Sam and Fiona gave him identical astounded looks, Dean added, "Killing Lilith is one thing. But you're talking desecration of my baby here."

"Yeah, well, I'm still planning on killing the bitch personally," Fiona went on, walking up to Chuck. "Listen, do—" But Chuck was already holding out the pages. Taking the papers, she gave the writer a sideways glance. "You-?"

"Knew you were going to ask for that, yeah," Chuck said, nodding. "I-I just… I see things. The first time it happened, I thought it was a crazy dream. Now I'm finding out it's all real."

"Well, thanks, Chuck," Dean said, looking at his brother and Fiona before jerking his head in the direction of the front door. "But we need to get going."

Once out in the Impala, Sam took the next chapter from Fiona, doubt and disbelief etched into his features as he read the pages in full. As Dean drove back into town so they could grab the rest of their stuff from the motel, Sam had a hard time believing that all this would actually happen. In fact, some of the details Chuck had written were so ridiculous that Sam was starting to think that the writer was putting them on.

But after packing up and getting back in the car, Dean headed, not back into town, but down the road towards the highway.

"Look, Dean, I side with Sam on this one," Fiona said from the backseat as she reread the newest chapter of the book. "Sure—maybe Chuck's right about the end result, but some of the details in here are just absurd."

"Oh, yeah?" Dean asked, as he headed down the road. "Like what?"

Sam skimmed the page he was one and let out a soft laugh as he read, "'The minivan accident wasn't that bad, but Dean was still seeing stars. He scratched absently at the pink flower band-aids on his face.'"

"So?" Dean said, thinking that the idea was kinda funny.

"So I've seen you gushing blood, Dean," Sam went on. "You'd use duct tape and bar rags before you put on a pink flower band-aid."

"Look, we are a long way from ready for a face-to-face death match with Lilith," Dean pressed. "So let's get out of town for tonight and we can regroup in the morning."

But Dean could feel fate working against them as they discovered that the bridge out of town was out. Turning back around, he headed back to Kripke Hollow and pulled into the parking lot of the local diner. "Look, maybe this is a good thing," Dean suggested as he, Sam, and Fiona sat down at a table. "If this is what puts us on the path to Lilith, then all we have to do is get off the path."

"How do you mean?" Sam asked, looking up from the menu he'd been studying.

"Well, it's a blueprint of what _not_ to do," Dean explained. "If the pages say go left—"

"Then we go right," Sam finished, following Dean's train of thought.

"Exactly," Dean went on, eagerly. "We go off book, we never make it to the end."

"Yeah, hate to burst your bubble, Bigwig, but there's a hole in your logic," Fiona interjected.

"Like what?" Dean asked, confused.

But Sam had seen the hole as well, and he sighed as he said, "_Post hoc, ergo propter, hoc_." Looking at Dean who seemed a bit puzzled, he translated, "After the fact, therefore because of the fact."

"Basically meaning," Fiona explained, "Whatever we do to get off path is going to put us on another path that leads to the same place."

"So basically, you're saying we're screwed either way," Dean said, dejectedly.

"Maybe not," Sam said, thoughtfully. "But maybe it's just not as simple just doing the opposite of whatever the book says. Look, I'm alone with Lilith, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Dean asked, not sure where his brother was going.

"So we stick together," Fiona concluded. "Except for hitting the head, we stay together. We can figure out a detailed plan after we eat."

"Okay," Dean agreed, although honestly he thought his plan was better.

After lunch, Fiona took over driving and headed back to the motel they'd been staying at before.

"Wait, what are we doing here again?" Dean asked as he got out of the car with the others.

"Only other motel in town in an hourly place named the Toreador Motel," Fiona explained, grabbing her bag out of the trunk again.

"So?" Dean asked, still confused.

Fi sighed and explained, "Lilith finds Sam at the Red Motel. Maybe Chuck only caught part of the sign or something."

"This is the _Laurel _Motel," Dean said, catching on. "Not even all the letters to make up the word 'red'."

"Bingo," Fiona replied, going to get them re-checked in.

Once in the room, Fiona sat at the table with the pages of Chuck's book and looked up at Dean and Sam. "Okay, Sam. According to Chuck, you spend the day doing research, and Dean…" Reading through the pages again, she said, "You spend the day driving around in the Impala."

"Okay, but we're all staying here, so no problems, right?" Dean said, sitting down on the bed.

"None that I can tell," Fiona replied, pulling out Sam's computer and firing it up.

"What are you looking up?" Sam asked, suddenly feeling like he was being grounded.

But Fiona didn't reply as she plugged words into the search engine. After a few minutes, she leaned back in her chair with a long sigh. "You want the good news or the bad news?"

"Just tell us," Dean snapped, feeling a headache looming.

"I looked up angels, visions, writers… and I came across something repeatedly," Fiona replied.

"What's that?" Sam asked, wondering what Fi had found.

"What Chuck actually is," Fiona said again, with a sigh. "He's a Prophet of the Lord."

Dean and Sam just stared for a moment and then replied in unison, "A _what_?"

"A Prophet," Fiona repeated, bringing up what she'd found. "He's writing down the story of our—well, _your_ lives, mostly. That's the good news."

"What's the bad?" Dean asked, not sure if he really wanted to know.

"The stuff Chuck has written?" Fiona said, frowning. "There's no real way to avoid it. It's a prophesy. It'll come true no matter what we do."

Dean looked dejected and Sam looked resigned as the considered that news.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Night came and even after spending the day talking out half-baked plans, they were still no closer to figuring out what to do.

After a while, Dean went outside and around the building to the vending machines and as soon as Sam went to the bathroom, Fiona snatched the keys to the Impala from the dresser and was out the door, starting the engine and peeling out of the parking lot before anyone could stop her.

xx

Getting a room at the Toreador Motel for a few hours, Fiona tossed the keys on the nightstand and quickly got to work.

She'd just finished and had set her demon-killing knife on the nightstand when she heard a knock at the door. Opening it, she found no one there and quickly closed the door again.

"Wow," said a female voice behind Fiona. "Not who I expected to find."

Turning, Fiona found herself face to face with a woman in her late 20's with long, blonde hair. "Lilith, I presume," Fiona said, casually as she sat down at the table.

"You really are as cocky as your father said you were," Lilith said with a smile as she walked about the room.

"Guilty," Fiona replied with a small smile. Flicking her gaze at the ceiling, she waited until the demon was distracted for a second before jumping up and pushing her so she was directly underneath a strategically placed Devil's Trap. "But I'm also very smart."

"Let me out now," Lilith demanded, her eyes rolling over to white.

"Not until I get a few answers," Fiona said, coldly. "Starting with why you killed my father and ending with why you want _me_ dead." Kicking the other chair over to the demon, Fiona added, "Sit a spell. Let's talk."

"Alright," Lilith said with a devilish smile as she sat down, facing Fiona. "I went to see your father to talk. I had some information I assumed he'd want. We fought, and I killed him with your knife."

If there was one thing Fiona had learned from Jethro Gibbs, it was the ability to know without any hesitation when someone was lying. "You broke into my house and stole the knife," she countered. "Means you had no intention of 'just talking'."

"Feisty _and_ smart," Lilith said, approvingly. "We could use you on our side."

"That's not going to happen," Fiona promised. "And you know it."

But Lilith was also smart and she knew precisely where the chinks in Fiona's armor were. "You do know you wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for me?"

Fiona stiffened slightly at that and she narrowed her eyes as she gave the demon a side glance. "What are you talking about?"

"Your mommy made a deal," Lilith replied, smiling. "She couldn't get pregnant and she came to us for help."

Fiona felt her mouth go dry. Her mother had made a crossroads deal to get pregnant? Had her father know about this?

"To answer your question," Lilith said, as she saw the question in the hunter's eyes. "No. Your father didn't know about the deal." Leaning back in her chair, she went on. "You see, when the Devil's Gate opened, it wasn't just demons that escaped. A multitude of souls managed to escape as well. Some we managed to collect before they went to Heaven, but a whole lot more got away from us."

"What did the angels mean when they said that I'm the only one who can save Sam's soul?" Fiona asked, going to the next question on her list.

But Lilith wasn't about to reveal all her secrets right then. Shaking her head, she replied, "I can't give away the ending to the story yet. But you'll find out soon enough." Hearing a car outside the door, she had a feeling the Winchesters would be barging in any second. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat," Lilith said with a smile. "But I think your rescue party's here."

Before Fiona could even stand, Lilith smoked out just as Sam and Dean burst into the room. Standing up and turning to the boys, she looked annoyed as she said, "You couldn't have waited 5 friggin' minutes?"


	7. We'll Do It Together

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I've been thinking of the episode 'My Heart Will Go On' and I've made a decision about this story line. For the sake of not giving away spoilers, if you want to hear about my plan, just pop me a review.

Part of this story is just a little family bonding between characters and part of it is putting a little bit of hurt on Sam and Dean.

Chapter 7

* * *

><p><em>We'll Do It Together<em>

* * *

><p>The Impala roared down the road and kicked up gravel and dirt as Dean charged into the parking lot of the Singer Salvage Yard.<p>

As he, Sam, and Fi got out, they wordlessly grabbed their guns, Sam and Fiona each checking that their knives were with easy reach.

Moving quietly up the porch steps, Dean silently signaled Sam to go first. Behind his brother, Dean gave Fiona a second signal and when Sam went through the front door they put away their weapons and slipped around back.

Inside the house, Sam turned to look at his brother and girlfriend and was startled when they weren't there. "Guys?" he called, nervously. Hearing no answer, he tried again. "Dean! Fi!" Panic was rising as Sam slowly made his way further into the house, his ears tuned to take every little sound.

Hearing the slightest sound coming from the library, Sam headed that way next, gun out ahead of him. But the library was empty and Sam lowered his gun an inch, raising it again when he heard a clattering in the kitchen. "Bobby?" Sam called as he cautiously headed for the kitchen.

But as he got there, he was ambushed from behind, his gun and knife knocked away as he was knocked to the floor.

Sam scrambled to his feet, and stopped dead as he saw Dean standing by the table with Fiona, Bobby, Jo, Ellen, and—"Rufus?" Sam said, caught off guard by the other hunter's presence. "What are you doing here? Bobby said you were in trouble."

"I _am_ in trouble," Rufus Turner replied with a grin. "Bobby doesn't have any scotch around here worth spit."

As his heart rate came back down to normal, Sam looked around and was surprised when he saw a cake sitting on the counter and plates of food on the table along with a cooler filled with bottles of beer on ice. "What's all this?" Sam asked as Dean came up to him, holding out a beer.

"Happy birthday, Sammy," Dean said, warmly, nodding in the direction of a stack of presents in the corner.

"My birthday was more than a week ago, Dean," Sam said, quietly. But deep down, he was happy. It was a sudden step in the direction of normal and, sure, tomorrow the pain and torment would be back, but just for today… "Thanks," Sam said, sincerely.

"So how's it feel to be 27, son?" Bobby asked, pretending that he didn't notice Ellen taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Uh, let me get back to you on that?" Sam said with a quick smile. Looking over at the counter, he said, "Cake looks good."

"Jo made it," Ellen said with a warm laugh. Seeing Sam's amazed look, Ellen glanced over at her daughter before turning back to Sam. "Hey, she's a pretty decent cook. She's even taught me a few things." After a moment, she added, "Dean told Jo about that cake you had up in Vermont a couple years ago."

"The cinnamon roll cake with the maple frosting?" Sam said, remembering the bake shop and the woman who made the cake.

He and Dean had been hunting a wendigo up near the mountains in Vermont. It had been an unseasonably warm day and the boys had left their jackets in the Impala before heading out.

But the fight had gone badly and both brothers were hurt and cold when night fell. If it hadn't been for a young woman lost in the woods, neither Winchester would have made it out alive.

In the hospital a few days later, the young woman—Anna Jenks—came by to visit Sam and Dean, bringing Dean a piece of a mixed berry pie and Sam a piece of her own cinnamon roll cake. She told the brothers that she owned a bakery in town and there would always be free goodies whenever they came by.

After everyone filled plates and ate, Ellen and Bobby brought the presents to the living room while Dean put exactly 27 candles on the cake.

"Dean, you're going to burn Bobby's house down," Sam admonished, shaking his head.

But Dean's mood wasn't to be dampened as he grinned at his brother. When the others had gathered around, Dean said, "Make a wish, Sammy."

Sam hesitated as he studied the candles. Dozens of wishes ran through his mind—realistic and not—but finally he settled on one and took a deep breath and managed to blow out every one of the candles.

"So what'd you wish for?" Jo asked as Fiona cut slices of cake and passed them around.

"Doesn't matter," Sam shrugged, digging into his piece of cake. Jo really _was_ a good cook. "It's not likely to come true anyway."

Jo bit her lip nervously as she looked at Sam. Finally she said, "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Sam thought about that for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. I wished… that I could just have one day when I could forget about hunting."

"What do you think this party is for?" Jo replied, laughing. "Sam, Dean called. Said you needed some downtime. And since he said you wanted to skip your birthday…"

Sam didn't feel like explaining to Jo that the lack of a birthday celebration was more about avoiding memories of the past than embracing the fact that he was alive for one more year. Besides, last year Dean had been ripped apart by hellhounds and the year before that, Sam had died and the year before _that_ their father had died. May 2nd didn't usually end up being a good day if you were a Winchester.

Pulling the focus away from himself, Sam asked, "So what would you wish for?"

Jo smiled and thought of Dean. Honestly, she would have wished that the two of them could spend a wild and crazy weekend together, but thinking of what her mother would say about it, she just shrugged lightly. "Same as you, I guess."

Sam could tell that Jo was lying but decided not to call her out on it. After a while, Sam and Jo joined the others in the living room as Sam sat down on the couch. He could remember only one other birthday party and that had been when he was 13.

Opening Bobby's gift first, Sam found a leather-bound journal like his father's.

"Thought maybe you boys would need a new one since your daddy's is getting pretty full," Bobby explained.

"Thanks, Bobby," Sam replied, setting the journal aside. Taking the package Jo held out next, he opened and was surprised to find a photo album filled with pictures of himself and Dean—and even some shots with their father and Fiona and James Brendon.

"Been saving up the pictures for years," Bobby said, watching the younger Winchester flipping through the pages. "Jo put the album together."

Sam looked up at Jo and he wanted to say something other than just 'thanks'.

As if she could read his thoughts, Jo looked at Sam and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a regular renaissance woman."

"Yeah, I guess so," Sam said with a laugh, setting the second gift aside.

Ellen's gift was much smaller and when he opened the miniscule box, Sam was surprised to find a house key. "What's this for?" Sam asked, a little confused.

"Spare key to the house Jo and I used to live in," Ellen said with a warm look. "It's not much, but you can use it whenever you need to."

Sam just nodded, again thinking that the words 'thank you' didn't seem like enough. He wasn't even sure why Ellen was doing all this, and Sam felt a stab of guilt when he realized that she was acting like a mother to himself and Dean lately.

Ellen said nothing, instead just giving Sam a smile. She'd never known Mary Winchester—John had never talked about her much. And while Ellen knew Sam and Dean needed a little maternal love, she also knew that she could never replace their mother.

Sensing the mood in the room start to turn maudlin, Fiona handed Sam her gift, grinning as she watched her boyfriend unwrap 4 burned DVDs. "The best of Alton Brown," Fiona promised Sam, brightly. "There's something else, but it'll keep till later."

"Oh, I didn't want to know that," Dean groaned, thinking of what Fiona and Sam might be up to later.

Handing his brother that last present on the pile, Dean said nothing as Sam tore off the wrapping paper, looking amazed at the framed photo. "Dean," Sam said, looking up. "Where the hell did you find this?"

"It was in that box of pictures Jenny Cooper found in the basement of our old house," Dean replied.

It was a picture of a 3-month-old Sam with Dean and John and Mary. But rather than the old, worn picture Sam remembered, this looked like it had been shot a few days ago.

Sam looked up at the others and gave a smile that was both sad and genuine. "Thanks, guys," he said, sincerely.

"Don't mention it, Sam," Jo said, still smiling.

The party pretty much died down after that, and Sam went to Bobby's library to look for something when Ellen stopped him.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Sam," Ellen said, leaning against the wall. When the younger hunter gave her a quizzical look, she clarified, "The key. I just thought maybe you boys and Fiona might need some place to hole up some time if you weren't near here."

"No, I know," Sam said, quickly. "And I appreciate it. I do." When Ellen gave his a patient 'but' look, he shrugged. "You don't have to act like my mother, Ellen."

"Someone has to," Ellen countered with a shrug of her own. "I know Fiona's been trying but I also know it's not the same. And I'd never dream of trying to replace Mary Winchester." Going over to Sam and giving him a gentle nudge with her shoulder, she added, "I'm just trying to look out for you boys."

xxxxx

That night, Sam found it impossible to sleep.

He'd never had an easy time sleeping and for the longest time after leaving for Stanford he'd spent hours walking around the college campus, trying to quiet his mind. Finally, Jessica had had enough and made Sam get a prescription for sleeping pills.

Sam wasn't sure if Dean knew that he still kept a stash in his bag, but he was sure Dean suspected. But the bag with the drugs was out in the trunk of the Impala and Sam didn't want to risk waking his brother by going down stairs.

Deciding instead to try a glass of water, Sam headed out of the bedroom he was sharing with Fiona and across the hallway to the bathroom, stopping dead when he stepped on something sharp.

For a split second he thought it was a nail but when his lips started tingling, Sam felt a flash of horror as he looked down on the floor, wheezing. Stumbling back to the bedroom, Sam grabbed Fi's shoulder roughly just as he collapsed onto the bed.

"Sam!" Fiona shouted, panicked as she heard Sam's shallow breaths. Shaking him, she called his name again. "Sam!"

"Allergy…" Sam wheezed, fighting to stay conscious. "Pen…"

"Pen?" Fiona asked, her brain going fuzzy. Thinking for a second, her eyes widened in understanding. "An Epi-Pen? Where?"

Sam tried to think but his mind was going hazy. In a flash of panic, he realized that he hadn't brought the epi-pen in with him. "Trunk," he wheezed.

Fiona knew she had to move fast, but at the rate Sam was going, she might not be fast enough. Jumping off the bed, she hurriedly fumbled for her bag and dug out the bottle of Benadryl quick-dissolve tablets at the bottom. "This should help until I get the injector," she said, quickly, racing down the stairs and ignoring the fact that she'd woken Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and Dean as she bolted from the house and to the Impala, fumbling with the keys as she tried to unlock the trunk.

"Fiona, what's wrong?" Bobby asked, quickly when Fi raced back inside.

But Fi didn't need to answer as Dean had spotted the object in her hand. "Damnit, Sammy," he muttered, half a step behind Fiona.

In the bedroom, Dean snatched the epi-pen from Fiona and quickly jabbed it into Sam's left thigh. It was agony while he waited for the epinephrine to kick in but finally Sam gasped, taking a few strangled breaths.

Fiona breathed a sigh of relief as Sam started breathing better; watching as Dean made sure his brother was okay and didn't need an ambulance. Looking in the doorway, she saw Ellen and Bobby standing there.

"Sam okay?" Bobby asked, worriedly.

"He'll be fine," Dean assured him. "Kid's been allergic to bee stings ever since this one case a couple years ago." Looking up and giving Bobby a reassuring nod, Dean waited until Ellen and Bobby left before turning back to Sam.

"Dean…?" Sam said weakly, blinking a bit as he looked around.

"Right here, Sammy," Dean assured him, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

Sam nodded slightly and after a moment fell asleep.

The adrenaline rush wearing off, Dean was suddenly aware of the sharp pain in his left heel and after getting Sam comfortable in bed, he sat down, raising his heel.

"You okay?" Fiona asked, looking concerned.

"Think I picked up a splinter," Dean muttered, trying not to wince.

"Let me take a look," Fiona said, pulling a small flashlight from her bag and the field kit she kept in there. After a moment, she said, "Need you to lie on your stomach."

Dean did as directed and Fiona grabbed a sewing needle and a pair of tweezers before moving a wooden chair over to the end of the bed near Dean's foot. "Your heel's got more scales than a snake's belly," she said with a laugh.

"Dry skin," Dean muttered. "Dad told me once that Mom had the same problem. Yeow!" he suddenly yelped, jerking his foot out of Fiona's grip. "I thought you were going to get the splinter out, not hack my heel off!"

"Will you hold still, you big baby?" Fiona admonished, grabbing Dean's foot again. "This things really embedded."

Dean winced as Fiona continued digging at his foot, mentally cringing at the fact that he was raising a fuss over a friggin' _splinter_! He'd been cut, stabbed, shot, burned, and tortured, and a stupid sliver of wood was—

"Got it," Fiona said, finally, pulling a thick splinter about half an inch long. "Nice one." With a grin she held it out to Dean who had moved so he was sitting up and facing her. "Want to keep it?"

Dean shook his head, pushing Fiona's hand away before looking at his sleeping brother. "Think we're all going to make it out alive?"

Fiona shrugged as she put her things away as Dean managed to budge Sam over a bit on the mattress to make room for Fiona. Once she and Dean were on either side of Sam, she said, "I don't, Dean. But whatever happens, we'll do it together."

* * *

><p>AN: I'll admit, I may have borrowed the idea of Sam having a bee sting allergy from the fic 'Bugged' by K Hanna Korossy. Although Sam stepping on the thing is based on experience. I've been stung three times and each time was because I stepped on the bee or wasp in question.

Ditto for the splinter in Dean's heel. My mom's dug three out of my heel to date. So not fun.


	8. Jump the Shark

AUTHOR'S NOTES: While I wasn't as interested in this episode as introducing Adam as Sam and Dean's brother, I did want to use this as an intro to Sam's demon blood detox.

Chapter 8

* * *

><p><em>Jump the Shark<em>

* * *

><p>A loud crash brought both Dean and Sam out of sound sleeps and for a second, they didn't understand why both of them were in the same bed in Bobby's guest room.<p>

"Hello?" Fiona groaned from the floor after a moment as she rubbed her battered butt and right hip. "Little help?"

Dean got up and went over to the other side of the bed, helping Fiona to her feet. "You okay?"

"I'll live," she shrugged, wincing as she checked her bruised body. At least nothing seemed to be broken. Looking over at Sam, she asked, "How're you doing, Sammy?"

"I'm okay," Sam assured her as he checked his foot, wincing as saw the sting mark just below the ball of his foot.

"Oooh," Dean winced. "Looks like you're strictly research for the next couple days, dude."

Sam frowned and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost 11 and he, Dean, and Fi had wanted to be on the road that afternoon. "Guess we might as well grab something to eat before we head out."

It took a few minutes to get their things together, and as Dean followed his brother and Fi down the stairs, he asked, "That wasn't your last Epi-Pen, was it Sammy?"

Sam paused a second as he thought. Did he have a back up? He couldn't remember. "I don't think so," he said finally.

"You _think_ or you _know_?" Dean asked, worried. When Sam shrugged, Dean just nodded. "We'll pick up a couple spares on the way out of town, just in case."

Sam didn't say anything, but he hated the fact that his allergy was such a costly one. At least Fiona's citrus allergy or Dean's problem with shellfish was simply an easy issue of avoidance. Being outside for hunts and for salting and burning often put them in danger of bee stings, especially during the summer months.

xxxx

As the trio headed down the road a couple hours later—Sam driving, Dean in the passenger seat, and Fiona in the backseat—Dean was surprised to hear ringing coming from the glove compartment.

Watching Dean digging out an old cell phone, Sam was surprised when he recognized it as their father's.

"Hello?" Dean said, curiously, wondering who could possibly calling his father's number. Glancing in the rearview mirror as Sam drove, he even saw that Fi was leaning forward, interested.

"Is this John?" a voice on the other end of the line asked.

"He can't come to the phone," Dean replied, quickly. "Can I help you?"

"No. No, I-I need to talk to John Winchester," the young man said, hurriedly. "My name is Adam Milligan. He knows me."

"Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, pal," Dean went on, wondering who the hell this guy was. "But John died more than two years ago. Who is this?"

"I-I'm his son."

Dean didn't say anything for a moment, but finally he found his voice again and asked, "Where are you?"

After listening to the one-ended conversation for another minute or too, Fiona saw Dean close the phone and give it suspicious glances periodically. "So what was that about?" Fi wanted to know.

But Dean didn't say a word as he continued staring out the windshield. After a while, he said, "Windom, Minnesota."

"What?" Sam said, surprised by that. "Why?"

"Just do it, Sam," Dean replied, flatly, still looking down the road.

Sam met Fiona's look in the rearview mirror and when she shrugged, he nodded and headed towards Minnesota.

* * *

><p>Arriving at the only diner in town, Sam tried to give Dean the rundown on what he'd found out about Adam Milligan, but Dean was having none of it. He knew this was a trap of some kind. This kid was a demon or shapeshifter or something.<p>

As they sat down in the back of the diner, Sam noticed that Fiona seemed oddly edgy, like she knew something about what was going on. But he shrugged it off as Fiona sat next to the window. "Look, I was going through Dad's journal," Sam went on as Dean switched the extra silverware with real silver and replaced the water in the spare glass with holy water. "There's an entry in Dad's journal from December 1989. Says he's going to Minnesota to check out a case. That's about, oh… 9 months before the kid was born."

"You're not seriously buying this, are you?" Dean asked, surprised that his normally levelheaded brother would be going along with this.

"Look, man," Sam said, calmly. "I don't want to believe it either. I'm just saying that it's possible. I mean Dad would be gone for weeks at a time and he wasn't exactly a monk." Thinking on it, he went on. "I mean, a hunter rolls into town, kills the monster, saves the girl… sometimes the girl is grateful."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. Cringing, he said, "Well, now I'm thinking about Dad sex. Stop talking."

Knowing that it would annoy Dean, Sam smirked as he added, "Maybe he slipped one past the goalie."

"Dude!" Dean exclaimed, wishing his brother came with a mute button. Turning to Fiona, he asked, "What about you, Fi? You buying this?"

"I'm Switzerland here, Bigwig," Fiona replied, putting both hands up. "Is it possible? Sure. Anything's possible. But I'm staying out of this one. This is _your _family drama."

Sam looked up at the front door just as a teenaged kid came in, looking around. "Adam?"

Immediately, Dean looked up and Fiona turned around, watching as Adam came over.

"Sam?" Adam said, looking hesitant.

Sam nodded and pointed to his brother and girlfriend. "This is Dean and Fiona."

Adam dropped his back pack next to his chair and slowly sat down. Dean seemed suspicious of him, but Sam was more curious. Fiona he didn't seem too sure about, but she seemed like a nice person. Very hot, too. "So… how'd you know my Dad?"

"He and my Dad were in the Marines together," Fiona replied, pulling out the photo of her father, John Winchester, and Jethro Gibbs. Handing the photo to Adam, she glanced at Dean and Sam before waiting for Adam's reaction.

"So how did he die?" Adam asked, curious.

"Accident on the job," Dean replied, coolly.

"He was a mechanic, right?" Adam said, a trifle confused.

Sam could tell that Dean was getting ramped up and he desperately wished he knew how to diffuse the situation. "A car fell on Dad one day," Sam explained, immediately cursing the slip.

"'Dad'?" Adam repeated as he looked from Sam to Dean and back again. "Wait, you… you guys are my brothers?"

xxxxxxx

After running Adam through the salt-silver-holy water tests, Sam and Dean listened as Adam explained why he'd called before the whole group headed over to Kate Milligan's house, but while the brother's went inside, Fiona went to her bag in the trunk, waiting until the three boys were inside before she dug out James Brendon's journal. Pulling out an old letter, she unfolded it and started reading.

_James,_

_Remember that case in Minnesota about 12 years back we worked? It was the first time you brought Fiona along. Well, I've got a problem. A big one. _

_That girl I ended up with that night—Kate—she got pregnant. Kid's 12 now. Name's Adam. _

_I don't know what to do here, man. Do I tell Sammy and Dean? What if they think I'm somehow betraying Mary?_

_Call me when you get this letter._

_JW_

Fiona folded up the letter and tucked it back into the journal before flipping to a page halfway through. She remembered the case from before. Her father had never given her details and she suspected her presence was more due to the fact that both Sam and Dean had had the chicken pox at the time.

Throwing the journal back in her bag and her bag back in the trunk, Fiona cursed out loud as she slammed the trunk closed. This was jacked 6 ways from Sunday!

Adam should be worried about acing his finals, not about some big bad that swiped his mom.

"Hey, you okay?"

Fi looked up to see Sam coming out of the house, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he did so. "Yeah, I'm cool," she replied, shrugging. "So what's the story?"

"Not sure," Sam admitted. "Kate Milligan has been missing since Tuesday night. No one saw or heard anything. I was just going to call the police department and see what they can tell me." Looking at Fiona for a long moment, he pocketed his cell phone and leaned against the trunk of the Impala, crossing his arms.

"Oh, no," Fiona said, rolling her eyes and leaning back against the trunk as well. "Why do I feel like I'm about to be put in the middle of you and Dean again?"

"I think we need to tell Adam the truth," Sam replied, plainly. "And Dean… I think that's the last thing he wants to do."

"So you want me to cast the deciding vote?" Fiona said, looking at Sam. When Sam met her gaze, she sighed and straightened up. "Make your calls, Sam. I'll be inside with Dean and Adam."

Frowning, Sam did as bid and once again, pulled out his phone.

x

While Dean looked around the house, Adam went over to Fiona who looked a bit uncomfortable being there.

"So, uh…" Adam stammered, not really sure of what to say.

"Look, Adam, it's nothing personal, okay?" Fiona cut in, saving the kid from making small talk. Seeing that he didn't understand what she meant, Fi went on. "Sam and Dean just… aren't sure what to make of all this, okay? And both of them are probably jealous that you got to have a normal life and they didn't. And with both of them, there's a lot of deep-rooted resentment towards John."

Realizing she needed to stop talking before she spilled all, Fiona asked, "You got a basement? Might be the next best place to look."

"Uh, yeah," Adam said, following Fiona to a door and down the dark stairs.

"Don't suppose you know where the—" But before Fiona could complete the thought, something hit her on the back of the head, rendering her unconscious.

x

When Adam came up from the basement, he saw Sam looking around. "Hey, have you seen Fi?"

"I think she went to check out the backyard," Adam replied, with a shrug.

Sam frowned a bit but didn't say anything. He hated that Fiona wasn't helping with the situation. But as a thought occurred to him, he headed outside, Dean following him to the Impala.

"Sam?" Dean asked as he watched his brother rummaging around in Fiona's bag. "Dude, what are you doing?"

But Sam didn't reply as he pulled out James' journal out of the bag and opened it up, stopping as he pulled out two torn pages. "Dean," he said, holding the pages out.

It only took a swift glance to recognize his father's handwriting. Dean snatched the papers from his brother's hand and quickly skimmed them over. "Great. Ghouls," Dean muttered. "Why wouldn't Fi tell us she knew what we were dealing with?"

"Or that she knew about Adam?" Sam offered, holding out his father's letter.

"What?" As Dean read the letter for himself, he wondered what other secrets Fiona had. "Okay, where's Fi?"

"Adam said she was in the back yard," Sam replied, thinking.

"No, she'd not. I just looked out there," Dean snapped, suddenly afraid. "The damn thing's got her, Sam!"

* * *

><p>While Dean went to check the crypts where the newest bodies had been taken from, Sam stuck with Adam because while Sam believed his half-brother was a potential victim, Dean believed that the kid had something to do with Fiona's disappearance.<p>

As the eldest Winchester looked about the crypt, he felt yet another pang of jealousy towards Adam. The kid had a future…Dad had taken him to a friggin' _baseball game_!

"What did Dad do with me on _my_ 14th birthday?" Dean muttered, looking around for some clue to anything. "I spent the whole freakin' week in the freakin' _hospital_ after I broke my freakin' leg!" Leaning against one of the broken open tombs, Dean took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

He knew Adam was hiding something. Or maybe it was something that looked like…

Dean straightened up, realization hitting him like a block of ice—cold and hard.

Ghouls took the shape of their last victims.

On the one hand, Fiona was trapped somewhere and likely to be bait for him and Sam.

On the other hand, Sam likely didn't know what Adam really was.

Pulling out his cell phone, Dean dialed his brother's number and waited until Sam picked up. "Hey, I think I found something."

"You find where they're keeping Fi?" Sam asked hopefully.

A sneaking suspicion crept over Dean and he asked, "Sam, is Adam with you?"

"Yeah, why?" Sam replied, sounding a trifle perplexed.

'_Damn!'_ Dean thought, trying to think. "Okay, stay on your guard and do NOT let him out of your sight. I'm coming back."

"No, Dean," Sam said, quickly. "You gotta find Fi. Okay? I can handle myself, just find her."

"Sam, you're more important—"

"I mean it, Dean," Sam pressed, insistently. "Find Fiver first."

Dean started to say something else but the call cut out and he didn't have to be a genius to know that Sam was under duress. Looking around the crypt again, he tried to see something he hadn't before.

But as he started to think that it was pointless, he heard something. He couldn't be sure if it was the wind or what, but going to the back of the crypt, he heard something from behind the stones. He paused just a moment before hearing the distinctive sound of a bullet hitting stone.

x

Trapped in a hidden chamber beneath the crypt, Fiona had been screaming herself hoarse for the past hour. Her left knee and her head throbbed and it felt like at least two ribs were cracked, if not broken.

Finally, she'd decided to fire a few rounds through the tunnel above one of the coffins, hoping someone would hear and come rescue her.

She hated that she'd trusted Adam enough to turn her back on him. But more than that, she hated herself for not reading her father's journal more thoroughly—not to mention the pages from John Winchester's journal. Fi had figured that this was a situation that Sam and Dean needed to handle themselves and so she'd resolved to stay out of it.

Now she may have gotten the only family she had left killed.

"Fi!"

Fiona whirled around, looking through the tunnel. "Dean?" she said, quickly.

"Yeah, Fiver, it's me," Dean confirmed, and after a moment, he clambered none too gracefully out of the tunnel and landed next to Fiona.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about—" Fiona began but she was cut off by Dean.

"Save it for after we save Sammy," Dean barked, not bothering to keep the anger out of his voice. "Come on. We gotta climb out of here." But hearing something behind him, he turned just in time to see the tunnel caving in. "Son of a bitch!"

"Help me," Fiona said, trying to ignore the growing pain in her body. "If we can… get some height, I think we can get out through that stained glass," she added, pointing upward.

"Okay, let's do it, then," Dean replied, nodding. He had to get back to save Sammy… if his brother wasn't dead already.

* * *

><p>Lying on his back on the kitchen table of the Milligan house, his arms and legs tied down, Sam cursed himself for letting his guard down. Dean had warned him—Fiona's absence was obviously a ruse to get Dean away and Sam, trying to explain to his newly discovered half-brother about what their father had really done for a living, had maybe gone into more detail than he should have.<p>

Sam had turned his back on Adam for only a second, but it was enough time for the ghoul wearing his half-brother's face to knock him unconscious.

When he'd come to, Sam found himself tied up and his head was pounding.

"So, what?" Sam said, trying Dean's trick of displaying bravado instead of fear. "This is revenge? The ghoul Dad killed was a friend of yours?" he asked the monsters wearing the faces of Adam and Kate Milligan.

"Try father," Ghoul-Kate said, coldly. "After John Winchester murdered him, my brother and I—" She indicated herself and Adam. "—grew up on our own. Inseparable. Much like you and Dean. And, of course, Fiona. Until she wised up and abandoned you for greener pastures."

Making a shallow cut on Sam's left arm, ghoul-Kate tasted his blood, pausing when she found the hunter's blood to be sharper than usual. There was something almost bitter about it. Looking up at ghoul-Adam, she said, "His blood—it tastes different."

The other ghoul dug his finger into Sam's side, ignoring the older man's cries of pain. Sure enough, the blood did taste different. It was more bittersweet than other blood he'd tasted and there was something dark about it.

Sam knew what they were tasting. The demon blood within him had probably built up over the past few months. He wished Dean and Fiona would get there soon.

"If you're thinking about when Dean and Fiona are going to get here," ghoul-Adam said, taking another taste of Sam's blood. "They'll be busy for a while. See, Sam… You claim to care about Fiona, but when it comes down to it, you care more about your brother than her. On the other hand, Dean cares more about Fiona than you. He trusts her. Or, he did until she forgot to tell him that she knew what was going on."

Ghoul-Kate gave Sam a twisted smile as she made deeper slashes on Sam's arms and said, "You see, John wasn't alone when he came through the first time. His best friend, James, was with him along with James' daughter, Fiona. Before we feast on your brother, we're going to kill you nice and slow… and Fiona…And Dean's going to watch both of you die before we finish with him."

"How about not?" Fiona said as she limped into the room, raising a shotgun and blowing ghoul-Kate's head off. But before she could get to ghoul-Adam, he'd thrown her across the room.

Dean looked in horror from Sam bleeding out on the table to Fiona lying motionless on the floor. Turning to the monster wearing his half-brother's face, Dean felt himself filled with a rage and a fire that surprised even him. Firing a shotgun blast at ghoul-Adam, he waited until the thing was on the ground before grabbing a marble rolling pin from the counter and swung it down on the ghoul's head until he was certain it was dead.

"Dean!" Sam shouted, urgently.

Dean heard the panic and growing weakness in his brother's voice and raced over, cutting the ropes and helping Sam up before grabbing a couple towels from the buffet table. "Sam, we gotta get you and Fi to a hospital."

"No," Sam said, shakily. "They'll take one look… they'll think I tried to kill myself."

Dean didn't know what to do. Fiona was still out and every second that went by was more blood that Sam lost. He needed help _now_ but he couldn't get Fiona _and_ Sam out to the Impala at the same time and neither of them could wait for an ambulance. "Sam, can you walk?"

Sam looked even shakier and he looked like he might go into shock any moment. But as he looked around and saw Fiona, he realized what Dean meant. "Maybe…" Sam said, even though he was sure he wouldn't make it all the way out to the car.

Dean could tell Sam was fading quick and went to grab Fi and hoisted her up into a fireman's carry before going back to his brother, one arm around Sam to support him. Somehow, Dean managed to get all three of them in the car and he tore down the road towards the hospital.

"Sam!" Dean said, trying to keep his little brother alert. Noticing that Sam was now unconscious, Dean floored it, ignoring red lights and cars honking.

x

A mile from the hospital, Dean saw police cars behind him and he gunned it until he swung the car sharply into the emergency room entrance and leapt from the car and went to the passenger side door. "Damnit," he said, when he noticed that Sam was still bleeding and getting paler by the second.

Dean was barely aware of the cops surrounding him and doctors and nurses shouting.

He felt someone gently pull Sam from his grasp before guiding him inside.

Dean wasn't even aware of passing out, falling limply to the floor.

x

He came to on an exam bed only an hour later, surprised to find an IV dripping something into his left arm and a bandage on his right. Looking around, Dean was surprised to see that he was still dressed and looking at the IV he was attached to, he recognized the label as the standard saline/glucose drip which was commonly given after passing out or—in extreme cases—donating blood.

"Glad to see you're back with us," a dark-haired nurse said, smiling as she entered the exam room. "I'm used to guys conking out after a wild night and not giving me their name. At work… that's another story."

"Dean," he said, carefully sitting up and testing his body, but no serious pain flared up for once, other than the usual muscle aches.

"Jesse Aldren," the nurse replied, giving Dean a winning smile

"How's my brother?" Dean wanted to know.

Jesse closed the door behind her and pulled a chair over to the bed, sitting down and facing Dean as he swung his legs over the edge of the exam bed. "Has you brother seemed depressed lately?"

"Sam?" Dean said, thinking. "No."

"No history of self injury?" Jesse pressed.

"Look, some freaks tied my brother down and cut him up, okay?" Dean snapped, defensively. "Sam's not suicidal, alright?"

"I'm not saying he is," Jesse assured him, calmly. "Just standard questions. The doctors finished stitching up your brother's arms and they're keeping him for a 72-hour psych hold." Seeing Dean about to argue, she put a hand up and added, "If the shrinks agree that Sam is not a danger to himself, you can take him home in a couple days."

Dean sighed, and at first thought about just signing himself and Sam out AMA. But thinking of Fi, he asked, "What about Fiona?"

"She woke up in the ER," Jesse explained. "Mild concussion, couple busted ribs, sprained knee. Sam needed blood and we were low on A-, so we needed blood from you and your sister since you're AB and she's O+."

Dean didn't bother to correct the nurse, and instead asked, "Can I see them?"

"In a little bit," Jesse assured him. "Your blood sugar levels were already low and you just donated blood about half an hour ago. Just sit for a minute."

"Do you have brothers or sisters?" Dean asked, not in any mood to wait even 10 minutes.

"Three older brothers," Jesse replied. With a sigh, she added, "Let me grab a wheelchair."

"Fine," Dean said, shortly, hoping the nurse wouldn't be too long.

xxxxxxxx

Sam felt groggy as he started to wake up and his head was pounding. He was having a hard time focusing and he felt feverish.

"Sammy? Sam? Sam!"

He could hear Dean calling his name, could feel his brother holding his hand, but he couldn't focus. The voices sounded echoey and Sam felt oddly disconnected from his body. "Dean…" he tried calling for his brother, but he wasn't even sure if he was actually talking or if it was his imagination. "Fi…"

x

"Sam!" Dean shouted, suddenly noticing the tremor in his brother's free hand. Sam was sweating heavier now and when he opened his eyes, it was as if he didn't know where he was.

"Mom? Mom, I'm sorry," Sam said, looking past Dean.

"Sam, Mom's gone, remember?" Dean said, trying to bring his brother back. "Sammy, come on. Snap out of it!" But suddenly, Sam started convulsing and Dean was caught off guard as Sam's fist caught him in the jaw. "Sammy!" Looking over his shoulder, Dean shouted, "I need some help in here!"

xx

An hour later, Dean stared at his brother through the window of Sam's room in the psych ward of the hospital. The doctors had sedated Sam fairly heavily and had put him in restraints as a precaution after fixing some of the torn-out sutures on his arms.

Dean couldn't even bring himself to care that tears were streaming heavily down his face as he sat in the hospital wheelchair, still attached to the IV drip. "Damnit, Sammy," Dean said, quietly, a choke in his voice. He'd already answered about two dozen questions about his brother's psychological state including drug history.

The doctors wanted to run tests on Sam to try and find out what drug he was on.

But how could the doctors help when Sam was suffering from demon blood withdrawl?

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter, Sam's in detox, Ruby's back, and a rift develops between Dean and Fiona.


	9. When the Levee Breaks

Chapter 9

* * *

><p><em>When the Levee Breaks<em>

* * *

><p>It had taken more work that Dean could ever have imagined getting his brother out of the hospital. The doctors and shrinks had wanted to keep Sam where he was while he dealt with the drug detox, but Dean knew that they couldn't help Sam.<p>

The drive back to Sioux Falls was long, even with Dean pushing the speed limits as far as he possibly could.

Once back at Bobby's house, Dean and Bobby had put Sam in the panic room which had been cleared out except for a cot, a bucket, and a small table with some water.

Sam was still out of it as he lay on the cot and as Bobby closed the heavy iron door, he looked at Dean, his eyes full of concern. "What'd the docs drug him with?"

"I don't even remember," Dean replied, wearily. Between the time he'd spent driving and waiting outside Sam's hospital room, he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten or slept.

As if reading the younger man's mind, Bobby put a hand on Dean's shoulder and led him upstairs to the kitchen. "Take a seat, son."

Dean didn't even argue as he did as told. He didn't say a word as Bobby dished up some leftover Chinese and pizza, putting the plate down on the table. Dean didn't even fight when Bobby told him to eat up while he took something over to Fiona who was camped out on the couch, her knee propped up.

Back at the hospital, one of the shrinks had given Dean a whole stack of information on what to do while Sam detoxed. In his bag in the trunk of the Impala, there was a whole mess of drugs for Sam, including stuff to combat nausea, non-narcotic pain killers, and even a vial of a heavy-duty sedative. Not to mention the IV set-up, just in case.

Right now, Sam was still out of it, but Dean knew that wouldn't last for long. Another couple hours at most, and then Sam would start wondering what was going on.

Maybe Bobby knew of some supernatural cure for long-term poisoning. It might not work for demon blood addiction, but Dean had to try.

As Dean cleaned his plate and went for one of the beers in the fridge. Leaning against the counter, he wondered how he could have let things get this bad. He knew that he was partly to blame. Ever since he got out of Hell, Dean knew he'd been different. His time in the Pit had made him see things in an entirely different light. And the demons? Sure, they were evil and deserved to be ganked, but with all that they'd been through down in the basement, it was easy to see how souls could get twisted.

"I screwed up," Dean muttered to himself as he sat back down at the table. He didn't care about the tears, or that he felt like his world was being ripped apart. Sam lying to him was one thing, but Fiona? They'd always told each other everything. "It's all my fault," he whispered, closing his eyes, praying for forgiveness.

"No, it's not."

Looking up, Dean wiped his eyes as Fiona slowly sat down, an arm around her injured ribs. "How do you know? You haven't been here."

"That's why it's more my fault than yours, Dean," Fiona admitted, as she stole a drink of Dean's beer. After playing with the bottle for a second, she slid it back to him and leaned back in her chair. "When… When you, Sam, John, and my Dad headed to Salvation, Iowa, Dad called me."

"He wanted you to come with," Dean said, picking up the story. "You refused, shipped out a couple days later."

Fiona was about to ask how he knew that, but then she remembered Chuck Shurley's books. "Let me guess: Chuck wrote about that?"

Dean nodded, silently. Finishing his beer, he said, "I should have been watching out for Sammy better."

Fiona didn't say anything as she slowly limped over to the fridge retrieving two more beers. As she sat down, she handed one to Dean before she said, "I didn't tell you about Adam because it was something you and Sam needed to find out on your own. It's your family and I thought it was better that way. I never thought that we'd run into ghouls again."

"I don't know how much more I can take, Fi," Dean said, wearily. "Sam… You. Trying to stop the end of the world. I'm done, Fi. I'm just done. I just don't have it in me anymore." Pushing away his beer, he stood and headed out of the kitchen, leaving Fiona alone with her thoughts.

* * *

><p>In the panic room, Sam started to come around and for a moment, he blinked in confusion as he looked around until he realized where he was. Groaning, he slowly sat up, wincing at the pain in his arms.<p>

"Shhh, it's okay, Sammy."

Sam looked up, alarmed as he saw his mother sitting down beside him, running her fingers through his hair. "Mom? No. You're dead. You can't be…"

"It's okay, Sam," Mary Winchester said, soothingly. "Just rest. It'll be over before you know it."

Sam felt his mother ease him back down onto the bed and he looked up at her, desperately. "Make it stop. Please. Please, Mom."

Mary gave her youngest son a sad smile and brushed his hair out of his face. "I can't, honey. I wish I could. You just have to make it though this."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Sam said, shakily. "Let's hear it. How you're disappointed in me. How you never thought I'd turn out this way. That I'm a... piss-poor excuse for a son. That your heart is broken." He looked away, ashamed of what his life had come to.

"No, Sam," Mary said, gently, and she placed a hand on Sam's cheek, turning his head so he was facing her. "I'm not disappointed." She wasn't surprised to see her son's look of astonishment. "I'm not heartbroken." Stroking Sam's cheek, Mary wished she wasn't just a ghost. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you, Sammy. This is all my fault. If I hadn't made the deal with Azazel… If I'd just taken you and Dean away, maybe all this never would have happened."

Sam wasn't sure what to say, and he couldn't say anything as he suddenly turned to the side of the bed, grabbing the metal bucket and throwing up. After emptying his stomach, he spat and set the bucket down, looking wistfully at the water on the table. He wanted to rinse his mouth out, but he felt too weak.

But just like she would have done had she still been alive, Mary brought Sam a cup of water, rubbing his back soothingly as he rinsed his mouth out. "Sam, I'm not disappointed by what you're doing. You took a horrible curse and made the best of it." Waiting until Sam looked at her, she went on. "I was raised a hunter. I know about hard choices and doing what you have to to get the job done."

Sam sat up slowly, still not sure of what to say. He never imagined his mother would actually agree with what he had been doing with Ruby. "De… Dean thinks it's weakness."

"He's not wrong," Mary replied, sadly. "Sam, the demon blood didn't make you a monster. And you can turn away from this. You can get through this." Putting a hand on Sam's shoulder, she added, "But I can't do it for you. You have to make the choice, Sammy."

"Sam?"

Sam looked around when he heard Fiona say his name. Seeing her looking through the small window in the door of the panic room, he slowly stood and managed to make his way to the door. "Fi…" he said, shakily. "You have to help me."

"Sam, I don't like this either, okay?" Fi said, sadly. "But when the doctors transfused you, the blood from me and Dean clashed with demon blood. It sent you into serious withdrawal like you were some kind of drug addict going cold turkey. What does that say to you, Sam?"

"Fi, let me out," Sam ordered, knowing it was useless.

"No, Sam," Fiona replied, firmly, before handing Sam a water bottle filled with some sort of bluish liquid. When he took it, she said, "Special formula I found in my Dad's journal. Little bit of everything. Hopefully it'll help."

"Fi…" Sam said, putting his fingers through the window. "I'm sorry. I really am."

Fiona put her hand on Sam's and gave him a sad smile. "I know."

"I love you," Sam added, earnestly.

"Me, too," Fi replied, as she pulled away. When Sam pulled away, she shut the window door and slowly made her way back upstairs where she found Dean and Bobby in the living room looking like they'd hit the tail-end of a fight. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Thought you were supposed to stay off that knee," Bobby said, changing the subject.

Fi glared at him as she slowly sat down on the couch and put her injured leg up on a pillow. "Happy?"

Dean tossed her a bottle of pain pills and replied, "Take a couple of those, and yeah. I'll be happy."

Fi downed the pills dry and then asked again, "So what am I interrupting?" Bobby looked like he was afraid to bring the subject up again and Dean looked like he wanted to punch someone. "Do I have to beat it out of you guys?"

"Bobby thinks we should let Sam out," Dean snapped, irritably, his tone and stance making it clear that it was not an option.

"Hell, no!" Fiona said, shocked that it was even a question. Looking at Bobby, she asked, "Why the hell would you even _think_ of suggesting that?"

"Look," Bobby replied with a defensive tone. "Sam can kill demons. We're on countdown to the apocalypse and this _isn't_ the best time to have out best weapon locked up!" Looking from Fiona to Dean, he sighed. "Look, I love Sam like he's my own son. I do. But maybe he's here instead of being on the battlefield because we love him too much."

"Bobby, you weren't there at that hospital," Dean argued, cursing the choke in his voice. "Withdrawal from the demon blood had Sammy out of his mind. He was tied down and drugged up like some whacked out junkie because that's what he is. Sam's been strung out when he's not hyped up." Dean paused a moment before he shook his head. "Sam stays where he is, Bobby. We're not letting him out."

* * *

><p>When Sam woke up from a feverish, restless sleep, he thought he was hallucinating when he saw Dean standing in the room.<p>

"Why'd you do this to yourself, Sammy?" Dean asked, perching on the edge of the cot.

"You know why," Sam replied, breathlessly as he slowly sat up, wiping the sweat off of his face.

"Right," Dean said, scoffing. "Kill Lilith, right. The big excuse. For what? Revenge?"

"Of course," Sam said, wondering why they were having this discussion.

"Revenge for what?" Dean asked, confused. "For sending me to Hell? Did you happen to notice that I'm back? Alive and kickin'!" Running a hand over his face, Dean sighed. "I'm not saying that I'm blameless in all this, Sammy. Alright? Guess what? I broke the first Seal. I jumpstarted all this. Hell, I started all this from the moment I made that deal."

"It's not your fault, Dean," Sam insisted. "I'm the one with the demon blood!"

Dean wished with all his heart that he could trade places with his brother. He'd even go back to Hell if it meant he could save his brother's soul. "Sam, Cas told me that I can't save you," Dean admitted. "I don't know what he was talking about but what I do know is that for a while, I saw that Fi meant more to you than Ruby. She meant more than me." He tried not to actually cry in front of Sam as he said, "So you've got to do this, man. Because when this is all over… I want to see the two of you together. I want you and Fi to get married, have kids. Let me and Bobby worry about the apocalypse and Lilith. You don't belong in this, Sam."

"Dean, I am the only one who can stop Lilith," Sam insisted.

"Why?" Dean asked, wanting to slap Sam for not listening. "Because some demon bitch says you are? Guess what? I've had angels telling me that _I'm_ the only one who can stop this. For all we know, this is just some giant power play that neither of us can win."

* * *

><p>"You've got to get Dean to stop this," Bobby pressed yet again. He knew it was pointless, but that he had to try.<p>

"No," Fiona said, firmly as she went through one of Bobby's books again. But she wasn't reading. All she could think about was how beat down Dean looked, and what Sam was going through. Closing her book and slowly getting off the couch, she said, "I'll be outside. I need some air."

Outside, she walked out to the garage, looking upward towards the sky as she said, "Castiel? You and I need to talk. Like, now!"

After nearly half an hour of calling, the trenchcoat-clad angel appeared, looking a trifle perplexed at who had summoned him. "Fiona," he said in greeting.

"I'm only going to say this once," Fiona said, brusquely. "Whatever plans you halo-guys have for Sam and Dean, it ends _now_."

"With all due respect," Castiel said, his tone even. "You do not have the power or authority to dictate—"

But Fiona wouldn't let him finish. She grabbed the angel by the lapels and slammed him into the nearest car. "What I have are two friends who are in no shape to take down Lilith. So either you help me do it, or you find me someone who _can_."

"You do not have the means or the strength to defeat Lilith," Castiel replied in his usual monotone.

"Because I don't have demon blood in me?" Fiona said, barely controlling her anger. "Well, then let's move on to Plan B!"

When Fiona let him go, Cas cocked his head, studying her intently. "You would give your life to spare the Winchesters?"

"What, you angels don't believe in self-sacrifice?" Fiona said, frowning. "Thought you guys were all about loyalty."

Cas didn't say anything for a moment as he considered what Fiona was asking of him. She would go face Lilith and likely meet her death. "It's not that simple," he said, trying to make Fi understand. "You can not kill Lilith."

"You give me one good reason why I can't," Fiona said, coldly. "And I'm not talking about the company line. I'm not talking about how I don't have Sam's powers."

"I can't help you get to Lilith," Castiel replied, feeling ashamed that he was taking the coward's way out. Seeing the icy fire and anger in Fiona's eyes, he sighed, praying for forgiveness. "But I know who can."

* * *

><p>Dean felt more tired than he'd ever felt in his life as he sank down onto the couch in Bobby's living room.<p>

He and Bobby had just tied Sam down after the demon blood had started throwing Sam around the panic room before throwing him into a full blown grand mal seizure.

Bobby believed that the longer Sam went without demon blood, the less chance there was of the younger Winchester surviving but Dean flat-out refused to acquiesce. If Sammy was going to die, then he was going to die human.

Bowing his head, Dean wished he knew the right thing to do. Bobby was right—Sam had the power to kill Lilith and stop all of this. But the angels had told Dean that _he_ was the one who had to end it. And then there was Castiel, telling him that Fiona was the only one who could save Sam.

Hearing Bobby come in, Dean looked up at the older hunter. "What's up?"

"Fiona's gone," Bobby replied, without preamble.

"What?" Dean said, alarmed. "What happened? Where'd she go?"

"No clue where she went, but she took my car," Bobby said, throwing his hat down on the desk and running a hand through his thinning hair. Replacing the cap, he sighed, jumping when Dean grabbed an empty bottle of whiskey and threw it against the wall. "Dean!"

"Damnit, Fi!" Dean screamed as he crumpled to the floor, tears streaming down his face.

"Dean, pull yourself together, boy!" Bobby said, quickly.

"She's gone after her, Bobby," Dean said, breathlessly, his heart pounding. "Fi's gone after Lilith. I'm going to lose both of them. Fiona… Sammy… I can't do it, Bobby."

Bobby didn't know what to do as he watched the young man he thought of as a son fall apart right in front of him.

* * *

><p>Knocking on the door of the Ridgewood Hotel's honeymoon suite, Ruby waited until the door opened before she said, "The honeymoon suite, Sam? Really, I'm flattered."<p>

"Don't be," Fiona said, slamming the door shut, exposing the Devil's Trap on the other side.

"Didn't know you swung that way," Ruby replied, smirking.

Fiona hit the demon hard before saying, coldly, "Sam's benched. Dean's out. So you and I are going to take down Lilith. And if you try to double-cross me, you'll know the taste of your own knife as I shove it through your skull. Understand?"

"So what are you going to do?" Ruby asked, amused. "Ask Lilith nicely to stand still while you stab her?"

"No," Fiona replied, crossing her arms. "You're going to put the word out that I want to meet Lilith-face to face, one on one."

Ruby's eyes widened as she realized that Fiona was totally serious. "You want to have a death match with Lilith? Never figured you for suicidal." After a moment, however, she shrugged. "Fine. Did you have a location in mind, or do you want Lilith to set up the meet?"

"Oh, I have a place in mind," Fiona said, with more calm than she felt.

* * *

><p>"So it's coming down to the wire, huh?" Ellen said, grimly as she perched on the arm of the couch where Dean was lying—the young man was asleep, thanks to a little chemical assist from Bobby. Looking at Bobby, Ellen wished she could say something comforting, but she couldn't think of the right words. "How's Sam?"<p>

"I knocked him out with the hospital-grade stuff Dean had in the Impala a couple hours ago," Bobby replied, rubbing his face with one hand. "I wish I could say he's through the worst of it, but there's no way to know if he is."

"And Fiona?" Ellen wanted to know. When Bobby had called her, wanting to know if she'd seen Fiona Brendon, she hadn't realized that the situation was so dire until she'd shown up on Bobby's front porch.

Bobby sighed again as he paced the room. "No sign. Police in Jamestown, North Dakota found my car. Couple other cars were stolen, but no way to check which one Fi might have picked." Looking over at Dean, Bobby didn't want to leave the young hunter alone and he looked over at Ellen. "You mind keeping an eye on Dean for a minute?"

"Yeah, of course," Ellen replied, as if it wasn't even a question.

Bobby nodded and gave her a smile before heading down to the panic room and looking inside. To his surprise and relief, Sam looked like he was waking up, but the younger man didn't seem to have the tremors he'd had before. Entering the room, Bobby went over to Sam, approaching cautiously as he asked, "Sam? How're you doing, boy?"

"Bobby?" Sam said, blinking as he tried to bring the older hunter into focus. Carefully sitting up, he groaned at the headache building. "What happened?"

"Demon blood detox," Bobby replied, simply. "How're you feeling?" he asked again.

"Better," Sam replied, honestly. "I mean, I feel tired. But other than that…" Looking up at the man he considered to be a second father, Sam's eyes widened as he understood what the other man meant. "I'm not still jonesing, Bobby."

Bobby looked hesitant, but thinking that right now finding Fiona and getting Dean back in the game was more important, he pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the cuffs on Sam's wrists and ankles. Once Sam was unbound, Bobby jumped right into it. "Sam, I don't want you flying out of here right now—just listen for a moment, okay?"

"Bobby, what's wrong?" Sam asked, quickly, wondering what could have happened. Had the last of the seals broken already? Had something happened to Dean or Fiona?

"Fi's gone," Bobby said, preparing himself for Sam's reaction. Sure enough, Sam stood quickly before faltering. "Take it easy, boy!" Bobby warned. "You're not going to do anyone any good like this. Get some rest and we'll go in the morning, okay?"

Sam didn't want to wait. He needed to apologize to Dean. But he felt exhausted and before he realized he was lying down again, he was sound asleep.

* * *

><p>"Okay," Ruby said, coming back into the hotel suite that evening. "Word's out, so Lilith should be finding out about your little throwdown shortly."<p>

"Good," Fiona said, nodding as she checked that she had everything she needed. Going to the door, she broke the Devil's Trap and opened the door. "Oh, and if you warn Sam and Dean, you're next, Ruby."

As Ruby left the room, she started wondering if it would be worth it to give the Winchesters a heads-up. Besides, after Lilith was dealt with it was all over anyway.

xxxxxxxxx

Appearing in the living room of Bobby Singer's house later that night, Ruby wondered why she hadn't anticipated sawed off shotguns filled with rock salt being pointed at her. "Look, I didn't come here to fight, okay?" she insisted, putting both hands up in a show of surrender.

Sam grabbed Ruby and slammed her into a wall, looking ready to tear her apart. "Yeah, right," he snapped, his temper barely contained. "And I suppose next you're going to say you're not here to get me to suck down more demon blood, too, right?"

Pushing Sam away, Ruby glared at the assembled group. "I'm here to tell you where Fiona is, okay?"

"And why exactly should we believe you?" Ellen said, still pointing her shotgun at the demon's head.

"Fiona wanted me to set the whole thing up," Ruby explained. "She's at a convent in Ilchester, Maryland."

"Then let's go," Sam said, shooting Ruby a glare before heading for the door.

But while Bobby and Ellen followed Sam, Dean paused a moment and gave Ruby a look. "If Fiona dies before we find her, I'll be coming for you next." With that, he followed the others out to the Impala.


	10. Lucifer Rising

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm not a beer girl. I prefer peach schnapps. But Land Shark is a real beer and a current favorite of my dad's which happens to be available in MI. Who knew?

Chapter 10

* * *

><p><em>Lucifer Rising<em>

* * *

><p>Driving as fast as possible from North Dakota to Maryland, Fiona knew she didn't have much time before the others caught up to her. At least a couple hours—a day if she was lucky. Despite the warning she gave Ruby, she knew the demon would have warned Dean and Bobby. Possibly Sam if he was over his detoxing.<p>

It was a suicide mission. She knew that. But Sam and Dean were the last family she had—not including Gibbs—and she would keep them out of harm's way by any means necessary.

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight," Ellen said, as she ran down through what she'd been told by the Winchesters and Bobby as they made tracks for Maryland. "After Dean went to Hell, he broke the first of the 66 seals needed to free Lucifer. Meanwhile Sam's been drinking demon blood on the advice of a demon. Now Fiona's gone off on her own for a showdown with one of the worst demons you've ever come across to save Sam andor Dean from doing the deed."

"Pretty much sums it up," Bobby replied from behind the wheel.

Ellen just nodded briefly before smacking Dean, Sam, and Bobby in turn.

"What was that for?" Sam said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Trusting a _demon_?" Ellen snapped, letting her temper loose. "Come on, Sam! I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Hey, it's not his fault," Dean said, defensively from his seat next to Ellen, although he was careful not to get her too riled, being in easy arm reach and all.

"I'm not saying it is," Ellen replied. "And it's not yours, either, Dean. Obviously this is something that's been in play since before you boys were born."

"But if that's the case, how does Fiona fit in?" Bobby asked, voicing the question that had been on all of their minds.

"Maybe she doesn't," Sam mused.

"Say again?" Bobby asked, giving Sam a look before turning his attention back to the road.

Sam straightened up as best he could and sighed. "Look, if Fi hadn't come with Dean and me… I don't know, maybe it would be Ruby and me going to hunt down Lilith."

"That's a disturbing thought," Dean said, quietly.

* * *

><p>St. Mary's Convent was abandoned and Fiona tried not to let that creep her out too much. Looking around, she dropped her bag on the floor in the main room and immediately got to work. Lilith was due to show up the following morning, and given the traffic jam Fi had gotten stuck in on the way here, she knew Sam and Dean were likely only a few hours away.<p>

She used the strongest binding spells she could find in her father's journal and Bobby's books and finally used a special glow-in-the-dark paint to draw an elaborate Devil's Trap on the floor which would be visible only under a black light.

Looking about the room, Fiona felt as prepared as she could possibly be for what was to come. The plan was to trap Lilith, get some answers and then stab the bitch.

Did she have a chance of surviving this? Who knew?

But Fiona knew that whatever happened, she would go down swinging.

After checking and double checking that everything was ready, Fiona decided that she could afford to get a couple hours sleep before Lilith arrived.

* * *

><p>At first, Dean thought he must have fallen asleep in the Impala because the last thing he remembered was sitting in the car next to Ellen.<p>

Now, he suddenly found himself in an elegant sitting room and no idea of where he was and no a clue of how he'd gotten there.

"Hello, Dean," said a smug voice behind him.

Turning, Dean found himself face to face with Zachariah who looked both pleased and pissed. "What the hell is this?"

"Thought we should have a little chat," Zachariah explained, and while he was smiling, there was a look in the angel's eyes that clearly stated that he wanted to rip Dean limb from limb.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, looking around the room. "What about?"

"Your friend, Fiona, has thrown quite a wrench in the works," Zachariah explained, watching the hunter's every move. "You see, tomorrow night—midnight—Lilith is due to break the final seal. Of course, it's not so much about timing as it is… location, location, location."

"Oh," Dean replied with more bravado than he felt. "Well, I can help you there. I know where it's going down."

"Really?" Zachariah said, seeming genuinely surprised by that.

"Abandoned convent in Ilchester, Maryland," Dean went on. "Turns out the place is where Fi's parents got married."

"Interesting," Zachariah muttered, thinking. Snapping his fingers, he conjured a platter of burgers, a tub of perfectly chilled beers, and the best looking pie Dean had ever seen. "Well, have a seat. Grab a bite. We'll come find you when we need you."

Before Dean could say anything else, the angel was gone. Going to the beers, Dean pulled out a bottle, studying the label. He and Sam had had Land Shark only once while down in Key West on a case, but both of them had fallen in love with this particular beer. Popping the top, Dean took a long drink before looking around the room again. He wished he knew what he was really doing here.

* * *

><p>"Dean's not answering his phone," Sam reported as he, Ellen, and Bobby continued driving. After Dean's vanishing act, they realized that whatever else was going on, stopping Lilith had to be priority one.<p>

As Ellen hit the gas on the Impala harder, she wondered if this was some sort of ruse orchestrated by the angels. Nothing about this whole this was sitting right with her. Had the angels really been unsuccessful in preventing the seals from breaking or had they been allowed to break?

While Bobby looked over the map so they knew where they were going, Sam was in the backseat, hunched over his laptop, going through the information he'd saved before they'd left South Dakota. Pulling up what he'd found about St. Mary's Convent, Sam didn't like the look of where this was going. In 1972, a priest had disemboweled 8 nuns, although later he had claimed not to remember doing it. But reading the name of the demon who had possessed the priest, Sam felt his stomach sink.

"You doing okay there, Sam?" Bobby asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

"Check this out," Sam said, handing the laptop up to Bobby.

"Azazel?" Bobby said, after reading the article and glancing again in the rearview mirror, although this time there was fear in the older hunter's eyes.

"Who's Azazel?" Ellen asked, frowning as she looked from the rearview mirror and Sam to Bobby.

"Yellow Eyes," Sam replied, darkly, as a sudden thought started creeping up on him.

"You don't think-?" Bobby started, catching the younger hunter's look.

Ellen didn't need any pressing, she hit the gas pedal harder, making the Impala go as fast as it could.

* * *

><p>Lilith had been surprised to hear that Fiona Brendon was looking for her and even more surprising was that the Marinehunter wanted a one-on-one meeting.

Fiona seemed to be a lot of things, but suicidally reckless wasn't one of them. She had some sort of plan and remembering their last tête-à-tête, Lilith was going to go into this meeting far more prepared than she had been last time.

That meant that before Fiona had set foot in Ilchester, Lilith had set demon sentries in a one mile radius surrounding the convent and had placed anti-angel sigils on the walls of the convent itself. Of course, there were things the demons couldn't plan for, including if Fiona had violated her own rules and brought back-up.

But unlike the other demons in her entourage, Lilith knew that Fiona would show up alone. The girl had that look that made it clear that she was willing to go headlong into danger, if it meant saving those she cared about.

And it didn't hurt that Fiona had chosen the very spot where the final seal needed to be broken. Ideally, the timing was off by about 17 hours, but that was of little importance.

"Surprised you decided to show up," Fiona said as the demon appeared in the small chamber.

"You called me, remember?" Lilith replied with a smile as though the two were old friends meeting over coffee. Subtly looking around as she approached Fiona, she asked, "So what can I do for you?" After a moment, she stopped dead, looking at the ground before looking up at Fiona, her eyes rolling over white.

"Trapped like filthy rat," Fiona said, her eyes narrowed as she backed away from the Devil's Trap. "Oh, and I know about your sentries. You can thank Ruby for that."

But instead of showing fear, Lilith laughed. "You honestly thought you could trust Ruby? Please!"

"I bet you thought you could trust her, too," Fiona replied, coldly. "See, she's the one who knew—the only one you told—where the final seal was." Looking around the chamber as she withdrew her knife, her eyes were hard as she turned back to the demon. "And it just so happens to be the place where my parents were married… where my mother was laid to rest."

"So this is all about revenge?" Lilith asked, still not scared as her eyes went back to normal.

"This is about ending it once and for all," Fiona swore, pointing the knife at Lilith. "You took my parents… and now I'm going to take your life. It's _over_."

Lilith's smile widened as she realized why Fiona had called her here. Silly little girl, she thought, arms outstretched. "You're not wrong about that, honey."

* * *

><p>Dean had never felt comfortable standing by while others did the dirty work. Sure, exceptions were made for injuries, but the idea of sitting out a fight never really appealed to him.<p>

Which is why he hated just sitting around this room waiting for something to happen. Why couldn't the angels at least put a TV up or something?

Unbeknownst to Dean, Castiel stood in a corner, watching the young man pacing the room, no doubt looking for an exit. He knew why Zachariah had sequestered Dean here, but what he didn't know was who would ultimately kill Lilith.

Fiona had thrown things into disarray and now it was unclear whether it would be her or Sam who would break the final seal.

There were so many things Castiel didn't agree with and he certainly didn't believe that God would want to see this world be destroyed. But how to stop it?

With a sudden resolve, Castiel appeared before Dean just as the young hunter grabbed one of the burgers from the platter on the table. Without a word, he pushed Dean against the wall, clapping a hand over the hunter's mouth to silence him. Pulling out the demon-killing knife belonging to Ruby, Castiel met Dean's eyes and after a moment, Dean gave a nod of understanding.

Cas withdrew and pulled the knife across his arm and handed the knife to Dean before quickly drawing a sigil on the wall in blood.

"Castiel!" Zachariah said, angrily. "Do you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?"

But even as the senior angel spoke, Castiel had finished the sigil and pressed a bloody hand against it, vaporizing his superior. Turning to Dean, he said, "You have to get to Sam and Fiona now."

"What, at the convent?" Dean said, still surprised by the angel's actions.

Castiel nodded. "I can't go. Lilith has hidden the location. I can't enter to help you. You must stop Fiona from confronting Lilith."

"So she ganks Lilith before the bitch can break the final seal," Dean said, breathlessly.

"Lilith _is_ the final seal!" Castiel replied. "She dies, the end begins."

A look of horror spread over Dean's face and he said, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Castiel touched Dean's forehead with two fingers and once the young hunter was gone, he waited for the wrath of heaven to descend upon him.

* * *

><p>Somehow, Bobby, Sam, and Ellen managed to get to St. Mary's by 9:18 that morning. All three drew their selected weapons, although none of them knew what to expect inside. Entering the convent, Ellen raised her shotgun at the figure in the entrance hall, lowering it quickly when she realized it was Dean. "Where the Hell have you been?" she demanded.<p>

Dean didn't bother answering, instead, he said, quickly. "We've got to stop Fi! Come on!"

The others didn't ask questions and didn't argue as the headed down the hallways, feeling more and more anxious as they encountered no other demons.

When they finally came to a locked chamber, Dean and Sam started pounding and calling Fiona's name.

x

Inside the room, Fi ignored her friends' voices as she stared at Lilith. "Just tell me why you killed my mother."

"Oh, don't you remember?" Lilith said in a mocking tone. "You were in the car, too. Both of you were supposed to die."

Lowering her knife, Fiona frowned as she said, "Why would you get my mother pregnant just to kill her and me?"

"Because after you were born," Lilith replied, watching Fi's every move, waiting for the right moment to escape and teach the young hunter a lesson she wouldn't soon forget. "—we found out that you would be the wrench in our plans. So you had to go."

Fi glanced briefly at the door as it thudded loudly. Turning back to the demon, she noticed that Lilith was perfectly calm. Too calm… "You're not smoking out this time?"

"What, and miss all the fun?" Lilith replied, smiling as the door burst open and the Winchesters came in, flanked by Bobby and Ellen.

"Fi, get back," Dean barked, cautiously approaching his best friend and the demon who'd once killed him.

"Oh, Fiona, please do," Lilith said with an evil grin before throwing her head back, black smoke pouring from her mouth and going into Fiona.

Lilith/Fi raised a hand and Ellen and Bobby went flying back out into the hallway, the chamber doors slamming shut behind them. With another gesture, Dean was pinned against the wall, the knife dropping to the floor. "Get out of her, you bitch!"

"Aww," Lilith said, walking up to Dean and slowly tracing the outline of his face with one hand. "What's the matter, Dean? Don't you like me anymore?" Sensing Sam moving to attack her from behind, with a flick of her wrist, he, too, was pinned to the wall. "You know, Fiona's really disappointed you two came here," she went on, looking from Dean to Sam. "I mean, she knows Dean's too weak and broken to kill me and Sam, well… Fiona would do anything to keep your precious soul intact."

"Fiver, fight her!" Sam said, trying to reach Fiona somewhere.

"You know," Lilith replied, thoughtfully, flinging Sam so he was pinned next to his brother. "You two don't even know why Fiona hates that nickname, do you?" Walking around the altar, she smiled. "It's because of little Kelly Gibbs. Kelly gave Fi the nickname and every time Fiona hears it, it's a reminder of one more person she couldn't save."

Dean closed his eyes as he struggled against the invisible forces holding him. He'd never really known what Fi had against the nickname. "Fi, I'm sorry," he said as he opened his eyes.

"It's not important," Lilith said, shrugging. With a smile, she picked up the demon-killing knife that had belonged to Ruby. "What _is_ important is that you two get to decide who stabs your old friend Fiona, therefore killing me."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, neither of them relishing the idea. Lilith was the final seal and if she died, Lucifer was freed. But more than that, the idea of killing Fiona made both Winchesters feel sick.

"Come on, now!" Lilith encouraged, brandishing the knife. "I mean, Dean… Fiona lied to you about Adam. She didn't tell you about the ghouls and almost got Sam killed. Some sister, right?"

Dean struggled harder, wanting nothing more than to kill the hell bitch possessing Fiona.

Turning to Sam, Lilith went on. "And Sam… Hate to tell you, but you're not the best Fi's ever had. But let's face it—you're freakishly tall, and the whole demon blood thing makes you a really aggressive lover." Walking up to Sam, Lilith whispered in his ear, "It took weeks for those bite marks on Fiona to heal."

As Lilith backed away from Sam, watching with delight the anger in his face, she accidentally crossed the boundary of the Devil's Trap, trapping herself.

Sam and Dean found themselves suddenly released and Sam made to charge towards Lilith, but found himself held back by Dean. "Let me go!" Sam roared. "I'm going to tear that bitch apart!"

"Sam, no!" Dean insisted, restraining his brother. "It's Fi in there!"

"And Lilith!" Sam pressed, still trying to get to the trapped demon.

"What are you waiting for, Sammy?" Lilith asked, tossing the knife towards him. "Finish it. Kill me and let Lucifer roam free." Holding up one finger, she added, "Maybe this will make it easier for you."

Sam momentarily stopped struggling against Dean and stared as Lilith gave control back to Fiona.

"Sam, kill her!" Fiona said, quickly. "Lucifer you can deal with. Just do it!"

"Fi, no," Dean said, cursing the choke in his voice. "Damnit, I'm not losing you!"

"How touching," Lilith replied, taking the reins back from Fi. Pulling out Fiona's knife, she again smiled sinisterly. "Of course, even if you two won't do the deed, I can always do it myself." Catching the horrified look exchanged between Dean and Sam, she put the tip of the knife to her stomach. "Fiona promised to kill me. And you know how she is about keeping promises."

Sam and Dean froze as Lilith raised the knife but suddenly she stiffened as Fiona suddenly took control again.

"Fi, no!" Dean shouted, rushing towards Fiona.

But it was too late.

Fiona plunged the knife into her gut and felt Lilith's existence fade from her own as she fell to the ground, blood pooling out of her from the knife wound.

Dean couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Beside him, Sam was crying, silent tears falling down his cheeks.

"Sam! Dean!" Bobby said as he and Ellen burst into the room. They looked at the still form of Fiona and then at the Winchesters.

It was then that Ellen noticed the blood from Fiona twisting and winding in a circle. "We gotta get out of here, now!" she said, quickly.

Bobby made for the door and Sam picked up Fiona in his arms while Dean grabbed the poor girl Lilith had been possessing. When Sam stopped dead, Dean gave his brother an urgent look. "Sammy, come on!"

But Sam looked down at Fiona with a mixture of relief and disbelief. "She's alive."

"What?" Dean said, almost dropping the other girl out of shock.

"Fi's still alive!" Sam said, excited.

"Then let's make sure she stays that way," Bobby said, urgently, leading the others out of the convent.

But as everyone got in the car, Ellen turned back to see a blindingly white light filling up the convent. "Bobby, punch it!" she shouted.

Bobby didn't need telling twice. He floored the gas, barreling down the road even as the light seemed to envelope the car and its passengers.

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter, Ruby and Meg turn up, the angels are pissed, and someone else gets grievously injured.


	11. Sympathy for the Devil

Chapter 11

_Sympathy for the Devil_

* * *

><p>Over the past four years, Dean had started to break, little by little. First it was the death of his father and the knowledge that John Winchester gave up his soul to bring Dean back to life. That promise to save Sam or kill him…<p>

Then Sam had died and Dean had offered up his own soul to save his brother.

When his deal came due, Dean had wanted to be strong, but the only thing on his mind as the hellhounds ripped him apart was that Sam wouldn't have anyone watching his back now.

Returning from Hell and reuniting with Fiona had helped patch things up a little, but Dean still didn't feel right.

But it looked like the hits weren't done coming.

Somehow, Dean, Sam, Bobby, and Ellen found themselves driving on an empty road through Virginia after the blinding light faded. Stopping as they realized that Fiona was missing, they turned back around hand headed in the opposite direction, Bobby relinquishing the wheel to Dean.

As Dean drove, he kept glancing at the others. Ellen was quiet, although she kept shooting concerned looks at the others.

Bobby was also quiet but he seemed to be trying to figure out how they'd ended up so far from the convent.

And Sam seemed on the verge of totally freaking out as he wondered where Fiona was and if she was alright.

As Dean continued down the road, he wondered what would happen now that Lucifer was free.

* * *

><p>Beeping was the first thing Fiona heard as she started to wake up.<p>

Well, beeping and frantic voices.

Her gut felt like she'd been stabbed, and… She _had_ been stabbed. She remembered getting control from Lilith and plunging the knife into her own gut.

"Ma'am, can you hear me?" A doctor asked. "I need you to squeeze my fingers."

Fiona managed to do so and a moment later, she heard another nurse asking, "Can you feel this?"

"Feel what?" Fiona murmured, drifting back into unconsciousness.

The last thing she heard was, "She's crashing! We need to move her now!"

* * *

><p>Finding Fiona had been a problem. It was as if suddenly, the surrounding hospitals were flooded with Jane Does with short brown hair, blue-green eyes, and military tattoos.<p>

Then Sam had had the idea to add Fiona's 'Watership Down' tattoo to the BOLO while Dean called Abby over at NCIS.

It was at least another three hours before Abby called back, giving Fiona's location which happened to be Portsmouth Naval Hospital. "It's pretty tight there, so you might have a problem getting into trauma to see Fi," Abby warned.

Sam looked at Bobby, Dean, and Ellen, wondering who would be best to see Fiona. On his cell phone, he said to Abby, "Thanks for the heads-up." After hanging up, he looked at the others. "Portsmouth Naval Hospital."

"Okay," Bobby said, thoughtfully. "Dean, you drop Ellen and me off at the hospital then go find a motel. We'll meet up later, alright?"

Dean could tell Sam wanted to go with Bobby but this wasn't a good time. They'd go later after things were settled down.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

After dropping off Bobby and Ellen, Dean drove to the nearest motel and while Sam went to do… something, Dean managed to get two adjoining rooms. He laid down salt lines and drew Devil's Traps just inside the rooms before sitting down on one of the beds in the room where he'd dumped his bag and Sam's.

Going through his brother's belongings wasn't something Dean was comfortable with, but there were a few things he needed to know.

There were Sam's usual clothes—boxers, socks, jeans, and shirts—and the rumpled suit he wore for playing federal agent.

At the bottom was Sam's shaving kit and some other odds and ends—his epi-pens, a bottle of Quik-Dissolve Benadryl tablets, pain killers… a few paperback books and a couple DVDs that looked like they'd been pilfered from a library sale. And two silver flasks.

Dean had never really seen Sam drink from either and he picked them both up. One seemed to be empty, the other was nearly full. Dean set the full flask down and unscrewed the cap of the empty one, taking a whiff and recoiling when he caught the sharp, metallic smell of blood.

He was almost afraid of what was in the other flask, but thankfully it was nothing more than scotch. But Dean hesitated before replacing the cap and took another whiff. It smelled way better than the usual cheap stuff and Dean tentatively took a sip, his eyes widening in surprise. This was really good stuff.

He capped the scotch flask and tossed it back into Sam's bag before taking the other flask to the bathroom and washing it out, making sure to use salt and holy water, just in case.

"Playtime's over, Dean."

Dean jumped when he heard Zachariah's voice and even though the angel was invulnerable to any weapons Dean had, it didn't stop him from grabbing his gun and firing a couple rounds into the angel on principal.

"Okay, I can see that you're upset," Zachariah said, calmly. "But we don't have time for your temper tantrums right now. 'Cause like it or not, it's apocalypse now and we're all on the same team again."

"Is that so?" Dean asked, not lowering his gun.

"You want to kill the devil, we want you to kill the devil," the angel went on, a smug smile on his face. "It's… synergy."

But Dean had had enough and even though he lowered his gun, he glared at Zachariah. "And you think I'm just going to trust you?" He said with equal parts contempt and disbelief. "Cram it with walnuts, ugly!"

"This isn't a game, son," Zachariah said, coldly. "Things are about to get far worse than you can imagine and if we don't strike now, Lucifer will find his vessel and when he does, we're talking four horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies, the greatest hits. You can stop him, Dean. But you need our help."

Dean wasn't about to accept help from the angels that had caused so much trouble. Not now, and—unless they were willing to go all the way back to before he first went for Sam at Stanford—never again. Standing his ground, he looked Zachariah straight in the eye and said, "You listen to me, you two-faced douche." A small part of Dean took pleasure in the way the dickhead angel seemed to be almost reconsidering his threats. His bravado increasing, Dean added, "After what you did? I don't want jacksquat from you!"

"You listen to me, boy!" Zachariah snapped angrily. But he was slightly unnerved by the way the young hunter was refusing to back down, as though he knew something no one else did. "You think you can rebel against us? As Lucifer did?" He paused as he looked down and noticed the blood dripping from Dean's left hand. "You're bleeding," he said, slowly, a look of dawning comprehension in his eyes.

"Oh yeah," Dean replied, as if he suddenly remembered, a smug smile on his face. "A little insurance policy in case one of you dicks showed up." He turned and slid open the bathroom door, exposing the sigil painted in blood on the side.

Realizing what was going on, Zachariah yelled, "No!" just as Dean slammed his hand against the middle of the symbol, making the angel disappear.

"Learned that from my friend, Cas, you son of a bitch," Dean muttered before going back into the bathroom to clean up and rebandage the cut on his hand.

* * *

><p>Ellen Harvelle believed that there were two ways to be tough as nails and still have the patience of a saint.<p>

One: Work in the restaurant business.

Two: Become a parent.

Just as Sam's friend, Abby Scuito had predicted, the male nurse at the front desk wouldn't let Ellen or Bobby past the doors.

But Ellen wasn't going to back down. Putting both hands flat on the counter and staring down the young man, she said, flatly, "Now listen up, son. I ain't asking to go in there—I'm telling you. Right now the only family Fiona Brendon has is me and him." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, indicating Bobby. "Now let us in the damn doors."

The nurse's stern look gave way to a mischievous smile and without another word, he buzzed the two hunters in, waiting until they were through the doors before pulling out a candy bar and unwrapping it.

* * *

><p>When Sam got back, tossing Dean a newly made hex bag, he was surprised when his brother tossed an empty silver flask back at him.<p>

"Something you want to tell me, Sam?" Dean asked, trying not go with his first instinct and beat his brother down.

Sam tossed the empty flask on the bed and sighed before sitting down on the lumpy mattress. "I started it when Ruby would vanish for days at a time. Found a demon, killed him… kept the flask for when it got too bad."

Dean rubbed his face with one hand and sighed, not wanting to think of the details. "So how are you feeling, by the way?" he asked, shifting the subject momentarily.

"I'm good," Sam insisted, not quite believing it. "No shakes, no fever. I mean, detoxing was no picnic, but… I feel better."

"Good," Dean replied, vaguely.

Sam tried to think of how to say what he wanted to and finally just went with, "Thanks, Dean."

"For what?" Dean replied, frowning.

"For locking me in the panic room," Sam explained. "I mean, who knows what might have happened if you hadn't."

"Don't mention it, Sam," Dean said, quickly. Seeing that Sam was going to press the issue, he snapped, "I mean it."

"Okay," Sam replied, moodily. After a while, he asked, "Think Bobby and Ellen know anything about Fi yet?"

But before Dean could reply, there was a hesitant knock at the door and when he went to answer it, he was surprised to find a young blonde woman standing there, wide-eyed. "Can I help you?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Right," the girl said, suddenly remembering herself. "Uh, my sister, Becky—she's a super-huge fan of the 'Supernatural books—she would just _die_ if she knew I was really talking to Dean Winchester!" Frowning, she amended, "Well, actually, Becky is a SamGirl and a Slash fan. I'm a Feaner myself, although I do understand Si—"

"Whoa, whoa, stop!" Dean said, his mind spinning. Stepping aside to let the girl into the room, he said, "Okay, start with your name."

"Willow Rosen," the girl said, entering the room and looking around, noting the weapons lying around. "Becky got a video message from Carver Edland, but she was in the bathroom so I took it."

"What was the message?" Sam asked, curious.

"The Michael Sword is on Earth, the angels lost it. It can be found in a castle on a hill made of 42 dogs," Willow rattled off. "Kinda cryptic if you ask me."

"Yeah, no kidding," Dean muttered, rubbing his brow.

"Oh, by the way?" Willow asked ash she headed for the door. "How's Fiona doing? I mean getting stabbed can't be fun."

It took a moment for the Winchesters to realize what was going on but before they could react, the teenager knocked both of them across the room.

Sam groaned as he looked up at Willow as she approached them. "It was supposed to be you, Sam," she said, sounding disappointed. "You were the one who was supposed to set Lucifer free."

"Ruby," Sam groaned.

"That's right, honey," Ruby said with a smile as she broke the Devil's Trap by the door, allowing three other demons to enter, two of whom were holding a struggling Bobby. "Now, we found your friend here when we went to finish with Fiona."

One of the other demons, a girl with black hair, raised a hand and flung the brothers against a wall before she gave them a smile. "Hey, boys. Long time, no see."

"Meg?" Dean groaned. "Great. Now that's _two_ hell-bitches we have to kill."

"Oh, I don't think so," Meg replied with a sadistic look. "You're going to be way too distracted to deal with us," she added as she and Ruby each put an arm around the other's shoulders.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Dean couldn't help fantasizing about himself with the two ladies—even if they were possessed.

But then Ruby pulled away from Meg and pulled out a gun and aimed it at Bobby, firing one shot into both of the man's knees.

Once the Winchesters were released, they ignored the other demons who quickly smoked out, instead grabbing Bobby and hauling him up and out of the hotel room.

* * *

><p>After Bill had died, Ellen had sworn that she would never get romantically involved with a hunter again. But then Bobby Singer had managed to find a place in her heart, and she found someone who needed the comfort of a good woman.<p>

But she worried about Bobby on a regular basis. Hell, she also worried about the Winchesters, Fiona, and especially her daughter, Jo.

For the past year or so, Jo had been working with a crew of hunters and while Ellen was constantly scared to death that something would happen to her only child, she had to admit that her little girl was tougher than some hunters.

When Bobby had said that he was stepping out of the hospital to try and call Sam and Dean for an update, Ellen figured he'd be back in a few minutes. Sitting in the surgical waiting room, waiting for an update on Fiona's condition, Ellen started to get nervous. Leaving a message with the nearest nurse to find her if there was any news on Fiona, she headed downstairs. Just as she went outside to see if Bobby was around somewhere, Ellen saw the Impala roar up to the curb, screeching to a stop.

Sam and Dean both helped to haul a semi-conscious Bobby out of the backseat and they ignored Ellen as the boys hurried their surrogate father into the emergency room.

The trauma unit was a bustle of activity as doctors and nurses helped get the grizzled old hunter onto a gurney before whisking him away to assess the injuries to his legs.

"What happened?" Ellen asked, looking at the two boys.

"Demons ambushed us at the motel," Sam replied. "Threw Dean and me around before shooting Bobby in both knees."

Ellen's eyes widened at that and she prayed that the doctors could somehow work a miracle. "What were the demons after?"

"The Michael Sword?" Dean replied with a confused tone. "Apparently it's at a castle on a hill of 42 dogs, or something."

"Wait, what was the name of the storage place in New York?" Sam asked, suddenly thinking.

"Castle Storage," Dean said, quickly. Looking to Ellen, he opened his mouth to ask a question but she was already nodding.

"Any news on either of them, you're my first call," Ellen promised, shouting a hasty 'be careful' to the Winchesters' retreating backs.

* * *

><p>The trip to New York took almost no time at all thanks to Dean's break-neck speeds. Once at the storage facility, Sam and Dean grabbed guns and headed into the building, eyes out for anyone who might be looking to jump them.<p>

As Sam opened the unit that had belonged to their father, he and Dean entered cautiously, shotguns aimed as they noticed the dead demons lying on the floor of the room.

"I see you told the demons where the Sword is," Zachariah said, calmly.

"Oh, thank God," Dean said with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "The angels are here."

"And to think," Zachariah went on, as he walked towards the two hunters, talking as though he hadn't heard anything Dean had said. "They could have grabbed it any time they wanted." Closing the storage unit door, he turned to Dean as he said, "Right in front of them."

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused.

"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy in Chuck's head," the angel explained with a careless shrug. "But it happened to be true. We _did_ lose the Michael Sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now, when you hand-delivered it to us," he added with his usual smug smile.

"We don't have anything," Dean said, feeling more confused by the minute.

Zachariah somehow managed to avoid rolling his eyes as he wondered how Sam and Dean Winchester had managed to live this long. "It's you, chucklehead," he directed at Dean with an obvious tone of voice. "You're the Michael Sword."

"What do you mean, I'm the Sword?" Dean asked, still not catching on.

"You're Michael's weapon," Zachariah explained. "Or, rather his receptacle."

"I'm a vessel?" Dean said, making sure he was hearing this properly.

"You're _the_ vessel," the angel, specified. "Michael's vessel."

"Why me?" Dean wanted to know. Of all the people in the world, why did everything have to happen to _him_?

"Because you're chosen," Zachariah replied, calmly. "It's a great honor, Dean."

"Oh, yeah," Dean snapped, sarcastically. "Yeah, life as an angel condom. That's _real_ fun. I think I'll pass, thanks."

But Zachariah had had enough of dealing with the bravado of Dean Winchester. He was an _angel_! He didn't have to put up with this, and certainly not from this piss-poor excuse for a human. "Joking. Always joking." Raising his hand and pointing it like a gun, he added, "No more jokes." Pointing his finger at Sam's lower body, he said, "Bang."

There was a sickening crack and Sam cried out as he fell to the ground, both legs feeling as though someone had hit them with sledgehammers.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean snarled, vowing to end Zachariah if it was the last thing he did.

"Keep mouthing off and I'll break more than his legs," Zachariah promised. "Maybe I'll snap your little brother's spine next."

Dean stiffened, every fiber of self-preservation in his body the only thing keeping him from trying to beat the crap out of the douchebag angel.

"I am completely and utterly _done_ screwing around," Zachariah said, calmly. "War has begun and we don't have our general. That's bad. Now Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. Understand me?"

On the floor, Sam tried to breathe through the pain as he watched his brother squaring off against the angel. Part of him wanted to tell Dean to just give in—if only to stop Lucifer once and for all. But as Dean talked about millions of lives lost, if not more, Sam knew that the battle would end bloody for everyone.

As Dean listened to the possible fate of the world, he wasn't aware of Sam watching him, wondering what would happen. "There's a reason you're telling me this instead of just nabbing me," Dean said, the pieces falling into place. "You need my consent. Michael needs my say-so to ride around in my skin."

"Unfortunately, yes," Zachariah admitted begrudgingly. He didn't want to present that information. Humans were so much easier to manipulate when they thought there was no choice. If Dean had a choice, there was no doubt which option he'd choose.

"The answer's no," Dean said, firmly.

Considering the old vinegar/honey adage, Zachariah thought for a moment before saying, "How about this? "Your friends—Bobby Singer and Fiona Brendon—we know they're gravely injured. Say 'yes' and we'll heal them. Say 'no', Fiona will never walk again, and Bobby might end up losing one if not both of his legs."

The words hit Dean like a ton of bricks and for a moment, he thought about the offer. Fiona would be fine and good as new. Bobby would be healed from the gunshot wounds to his knees… But would they forgive him from making the deal?

Sam could see the conflict in his brother's eyes and he wanted so very much to tell Dean to take the offer. Sure, the angels were world-class dicks, but family had always counted above all else.

"No," Dean said, resolutely, even though it killed him to say it. He knew what he was condemning Fiona and Bobby to, but it was his choice.

"Then how about we heal _you_?" Zachariah offered, thinking of what would be truly painful. "From… stage 4 stomach cancer?"

Dean felt like something was shredding him from the inside out. Dropping to his knees, he started coughing up blood and even through the thick fog of pain, he growled, "No."

"Then let's get really creative," the angel went on, suddenly seeming almost amused. "Let's see how Sam does without his lungs."

The strangled gasp that Sam let out was 100 times worse than any sound Dean had ever heard before and he wished he had the strength and means to kill the angel responsible. "Just kill us," he managed to croak out.

But the look on Zachariah's face was one of puzzlement. "Kill you? But I'm just getting started."

"Let them go," a gravelly voice said, quickly.

Looking up, Dean was surprised to see Castiel standing there. "Cas? What're you…?" But he couldn't finish the question as the pain started going into his chest. It was getting harder and harder to breathe and looking over at Sam, Dean noticed with horror that Sam was now lying perfectly still. _'Oh, dear God, no!'_

"Put these boys back together and go," Castiel ordered, firmly. "I won't ask twice."

Zachariah wasn't about to surrender, but he knew when to declare a momentary retreat. He'd be back, and next time, he wouldn't go without back-up. He winged out after undoing the damage to Sam and Dean, vowing that the next time he saw the Winchesters, he would make them pay.

* * *

><p>Fiona woke up to the sound of beeping and someone talking. She blinked heavily as her vision focused and she saw a man standing by the bed. He was a little shorter than Dean and he had messy brown hair and brown eyes. "Who the hell are you?" Fi muttered, groaning at the pain in her lower back and stomach.<p>

"Friend of Sam and Dean's," the man said with a smile. He nodded at the door as he said, "You've got visitors."

Fiona raised her head a few inches and saw Ellen, Dean, and Sam. Laying her head back, she muttered, "Not yet."

The Trickster nodded, using his own special powers to change his appearance before returning Fiona to a restful slumber. Going outside, he looked at the Winchesters and Ellen Harvelle. "She's still pretty out of it," he reported. "She'll probably be asleep for another couple hours."

"Will she be okay, doc?" Dean asked, hopefully, as he thought of Zachariah's words back at the storage facility.

The words 'I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV' popped up in the Trickster's mind, but he had the added benefit of having actually looked at Fiona's medical chart. "Internal injuries will heal, but the knife blade nicked her spinal cord. We won't know about permanent damage until she's more conscious."

"Best guess?" Ellen asked, crossing her arms.

"There's a significant chance of long-term paralysis," The Trickster replied, sadly, wishing he could just quick patch Fiona up. Sadly, healing wasn't really covered in his current bag of tricks.

When the doctor left, Dean rubbed his face with one hand as he looked through the window into Fiona's room. Bobby had come out of surgery only moments before, but he was still in Recovery. The surgeons had managed to save both his legs, but the older hunter still had a long road ahead. At least 2 months of recovery followed by rigorous physical therapy.

And that would be a cakewalk compared to what awaited Fiona.

Pacing for a moment, Dean stopped, pulled back a fist but before he could punch the brick wall, he found Sam in his way. Not bothering to stop, Dean his brother as hard as he could in the face, busting his lip.

"Feel better?" Sam asked, wincing as he tasted blood.

"No, I don't feel better, Sam," Dean snapped, coolly. Walking down the hallway, he needed some air. His stomach was still messed up from Zachariah's little episode earlier and his ribs still ached from where Castiel had branded him with the Enochian sigil.

He wanted to be angry with Sam for getting involved with Ruby. With Fiona for not telling him about Adam…

But the only person he could really be angry with was himself.

Dean had broken the first seal. It didn't matter that the angels had allowed the others to break, or that Fiona had broken the final one. He, Dean Winchester, had started the apocalypse.

How in the world was he supposed to save everyone he cared about?

Taking a deep breath and rubbing his face with one hand, Dean knew he had to keep his game face on. Bobby, Fi, and Sam needed him to be strong and focused. Strengthening his resolve, he went back to find Ellen and Sam.

* * *

><p>The sounds of overlapping screaming and bitching could be heard up and down the hallway of the hospital.<p>

"Unlikely to walk again? Why you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait till I get out of this bed! I'll use my game leg to kick your friggin ass!"

"What the Hell do you mean I'm going to be stuck in this hospital for two months?"

"Soon as I get out of this bed and into a wheelchair, I'm gonna run your ass down!"

"What the hell did you do with my hat?"

The doctors bustled out of the room, eager to be away from two of the worst patients they'd ever had.

Inside, Sam, Dean, and Ellen stood next to the window, smiling in amusement at Fiona and Bobby.

It had been a few days since they had both been hurt and Bobby was as cantankerous as ever and Fiona was just as bad, if not worse.

Of course, putting Bobby and Fiona in the same room hadn't helped. The two had started bitching up a storm since first waking up and they hadn't stopped since.

"So what's the game plan?" Fiona asked, sitting up a bit more ignoring the pain in her stomach. "What do we do now?"

"Well... we save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess," Bobby replied with a resigned sigh. "It's bad. Whoever wins, Heaven or Hell, we're boned."

"What if we win?" Dean asked. Seeing the looks from the others, he kept going. "I'm serious. I mean, screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell, they wanna fight a war? They can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the Devil, hell we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves."

Bobby looked a bit doubtful at that, especially when he looked at the immobilizing braces on his knees and at Fiona. "And how're we supposed to do all this, genius?" he asked, curiously.

"I got no idea," Dean admitted, trying to sound as positive and determined as he could, even if he didn't really feel any of it. "But what I do have is a GED, and a 'give 'em hell' attitude. And I'll figure it out."

Fiona looked from Dean to Sam who gave her a 'you know Dean' shrug. But finally she gave the brothers a smile. "Okay. Then you boys better get on it. Soon as they let me out of here, I'll saddle up with ya again."

"You sure?" Dean asked, looking at her hesitantly.

"Hey, I'm not the first paralyzed Marine, and I'm not going to be the last," Fiona replied, confidently. "I'm in this, Dean. Just try to stop me."

"Well, in that case," Ellen said, heading for the door. "I'm going to meet up with Jo. We'll call you when we got something."

"Tell her we said 'hey'," Dean replied, giving Ellen a nod.

"You got it," Ellen promised.

When Sam and Dean left as well, Fiona let out a long sigh and finally let go of the stubborn look she'd been wearing, replacing it with one of weariness. She hurt… a lot.

"You okay?" Bobby asked, also letting go of the toughness he'd been showing for Sam and Dean.

"No, Bobby," Fi sighed. "I can't do this. I can't walk… How the hell am I going to help the boys kill Lucifer?"

"Yeah," Bobby admitted, thinking of his own condition. After a moment, though, he gave Fiona a stern look. "You know we can't let our guard down with them, right?"

"Right," Fiona muttered, thinking of the look of weariness in Dean's eyes.

xxxx

Once outside the hospital, Sam looked over at Dean as they headed for the Impala. "You know, I was thinking, Dean," he said after a while. "Maybe we could go after the Colt."

"Why?" Dean asked, not sure why his brother was bringing it up. "What difference would that make?"

"Maybe we could use it on Lucifer," Sam replied, going with the thought. "I mean, you said back there-"

"I just said a bunch of crap for Fiona and Bobby's benefit," Dean cut in. "I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight to the last man, but let's at least be honest. We don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that." He hated making the confession and he could see in Sam's eyes that he didn't understand why the idea was getting shot down. "Look, Fi and Bobby? This isn't like a broken arm or a couple busted ribs, okay? They're down for the count. All they're hanging onto right now is the idea that we can pull this off."

Sam nodded, understanding what Dean was saying. They both had to put on a good show, whether they meant it or not. And as they both got into the car, they wondered whose walls would crack first.


	12. Are We Doing the Right Thing?

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was originally the start of a much longer chapter, but I decided to make this part its separate chapter.

Chapter 12

* * *

><p><em>Are We Doing the Right Thing?<em>

* * *

><p>For the next two weeks, Bobby and Fiona were as cantankerous as could be when Sam and Dean came to see them.<p>

But when the Winchesters left the room, the Hunter and the Marine fell silent, each of them thinking of the dramatic changes in their lives.

Bobby knew he didn't have as much to complain about as Fiona, but still—recovering from getting shot in the knees was no picnic and it wouldn't be easy when he finally got back on his feet again.

The doctors had been assuring him left and right that "This time next year, it'll be like it never happened".

But Bobby knew that a year would be a long time, and optimism wasn't the same thing as a guarantee.

For Fiona, it was different because she was still healing from the internal injuries—although the physical therapists said she could get started on some light upper body exercises and move into the more advanced stuff in another week.

The good thing about recovering at Portsmouth was that Gibbs visited almost as often as Sam and Dean; sometimes Gibbs would be alone and other times he brought Abby or Ziva with him.

* * *

><p>One afternoon, while the doctors were getting some new x-rays of Bobby's legs, Gibbs came in followed by Dean.<p>

The NCIS agent looked like he wasn't exactly happy and Dean looked like there was a confrontation coming that he wanted to avoid.

"Gibbs?" Fiona asked, trying not to wince as she sat up more. "What's going on?"

"Just came to see you," Dean lied unconvincingly. Looking at Gibbs, he added, "Look, Sammy wanted to see me about—"

"Sit," Gibbs said, quietly, his tone making it clear that it wasn't a request or a debate.

Dean did so, watching as Gibbs closed the door and closed the shades. Looking at Fi, he asked, "Should I be worried?"

"You see a sniper rifle?" Fiona asked, sarcastically.

"No," Dean replied, nervously, as he looked from his best friend to Jethro Gibbs.

"Then you're safe," Fiona said with a shrug.

"Are the two of you done?" Gibbs asked, eyes narrowed as he looked at Dean and Fi. When they nodded silently, he said, "Now, I want to know what's going on with you two."

"Come again?" Dean asked, clearly no clue as to what the older man was talking about.

But Fiona knew what her godfather meant and she looked at Dean. She'd been dreading this, but knew it had to come out sooner or later. "Dean, I was awake." Catching his eye, she elaborated. "When Lilith possessed me. I was awake and I know what I said. To you, to Sam…"

"Hey, it's no problem," Dean insisted. But catching the quiet stare from Gibbs, he sighed. "Look, you were possessed, Fi. It wasn't you."

But Fiona knew that that wasn't entirely true. "I was scared, Dean. You were falling apart, Sam was a mess… I just thought that it was the right thing to do."

"And how you feel about the nickname 'Fiver'?" Dean wanted to know. "It wasn't your fault, Fi."

"That's why I _hate_ the name," Fiona said, quietly. "But at the same time… When you call me 'Fiver' it reminds me of how close we used to be. And I miss that."

"I miss it, too," Dean admitted. "You know, at first I thought it would be just like old times—you, me, Sammy—but… Things change."

"Yeah, I guess they do," Fiona sighed. What had started out as half-hearted resolve was starting to turn into determination. "And I'm sorry I never told you about Adam."

"I know why you did it," Dean replied, running a hand through his hair before letting out a wry laugh. "Just think… Sammy a lawyer, Adam a doctor…"

"We would have been so bored leading normal lives, Dean," Fiona countered.

Dean didn't say anything, but that didn't mean he didn't want to. He wanted to apologize for dragging Fiona back into all this, just like he'd done with Sam. But what was done was done. Instead, he asked, "So how soon can you get out of here?"

"About a month, give or take," Fiona replied, shrugging. "But the sooner the better, you know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night, Dean found himself at a local bar, a glass of whiskey before him. The clientele was far different that what he was used to and he knew there would be no backroom poker games or pool hustling here. Not in a cop bar that was filled with federal agents.

Sam was at Fiona's townhouse doing research on some case that he'd found nearby and had declined to join Dean at the bar.

"If you continue drinking like that," said a lightly accented voice at Dean's left elbow. "I will be forced to take drastic measures to keep you from driving."

"Honey, I've driven with a lot more than two glasses of whiskey in my system," Dean replied, turning to give Ziva a smile. "But if that's an offer to take me home with you…?"

Ziva chuckled softly before ordering a mojito. When her drink arrived, she sipped it before turning to face Dean. "When was the last time you did anything to relax?"

Dean just shook his head. In truth, he felt run down and at the same time, he felt something building up inside that needed to be let loose. He needed a good bar brawl, or some big fight with some sort of monster… But thinking of the woman next to him, he figured a wild, passionate night with a gorgeous woman would also do the trick.

The two finished their drinks and headed back to the townhouse and before Dean could even lose his jacket, Ziva had grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, crushing her lips against his.

They became a whirlwind tangle of limbs as they somehow made it upstairs and to the guest room where Ziva pushed Dean onto the bed before pulling her shirt off and removing her shoes before straddling the demon hunter.

Dean had been with assertive women before, but never anyone like Ziva David. During their multiple rounds of raw, sexual frenzy, he learned things about her that he never would have imagined. For instance, she could do things with her toes that sent shivers up and down his body. Ziva also hated biting, loved having her neck kissed slowly… and she also happened to be a screamer.

During one extremely brief moment where he remembered there was a world outside of the bedroom, Dean could only imagine how Sam would feel, listening to the noise coming from upstairs. Or maybe Sam had had enough and went to stay the night at the hospital with Bobby and Fi.

But any further thoughts went out the window as Ziva gave him a look like he was a steak and she was a hungry wolf.

* * *

><p>To Sam's surprise, Bobby was still awake when he snuck into the hospital at a bit after 1am. Fiona was sound asleep, but Sam was willing to bet that it wouldn't be long before nightmares woke her up.<p>

As if sensing the younger man's thoughts, Bobby gave Sam a smile before sitting up in his bed. "Docs gave her something a bit ago. Kid hasn't been sleeping, so they put her on a sedative at night."

"Bet Fi was happy about that," Sam said with a return smile. After a moment, he caught Bobby's look and added, "Dean and Ziva are… well, you know."

"That boy needs to get some sleep and a decent meal," Bobby noted, grumpily. Narrowing his eyes at Sam, he said, "You, too, Sam. Both of you need to take better care of yourselves." But even as he said it, the older hunter knew that the two Winchesters wouldn't.

"We're fine, Bobby," Sam insisted, even thought he knew it was a lie.

"You're runnin' on fumes, is what you're doin'," Bobby corrected. Sighing, he paused a moment before he looked Sam in the eye. "Look, I know it's hard dealing with everything. But you and Dean can't afford to be less than 100%."

Sam knew that Bobby was right. But with Fi and Bobby down, Dean and Sam had been trying to pick up the slack. And if the calls from Ellen and Jo were any indication, the Harvelles had their hands full as well. And as much as he knew Dean would hate it, Sam promised to make sure that he and Dean took the next week off.

* * *

><p>Marine boot camp was no picnic.<p>

But compared with the training Fiona had gone through to be a hunter, it was close.

For more than half her life, Fi had done her share of lifting, climbing, and other physical exercises and although sometimes her muscles and joints complained about the strain, as she started physical therapy, she was suddenly grateful that she had such good upper body strength.

The therapists had wanted Fiona to take it easy at least a little bit, due to the nearly-healed abdominal injuries, but Fi was in no mood to do so. Every day that she was stuck in this hospital was another day that Sam and Dean didn't have her to back them up. Sure, being in a wheelchair would make things more difficult, but she wasn't about to let a little thing like being unable to walk stop her from protecting what was left of her family.

The past few days, Fiona had been doing better at getting around in the wheelchair, but what she was having trouble with was how she would get in and out of the Impala.

Strangely enough, the harder Fiona worked, the more downtrodden Bobby seemed to become. In fact, the two had started sniping at each other so much, that Fiona had been moved to a room down the hall.

* * *

><p>"How's it going, Bobby?" Dean said, as cheerfully as he could as he and Sam entered their old friend's room on a bright, sunny Thursday morning.<p>

A nurse had helped Bobby out of bed and into a wheelchair but the older man didn't seem to be encouraged by the change in situation at all. On the contrary, he seemed to be even grumpier. "How do ya _think_ it's going?" Bobby grumbled. "Idjits."

"Yeah, same to you," Fiona snapped as she wheeled into the room followed by a disheveled looking man in a rumpled suit and a tan trenchcoat. Jerking her thumb over her shoulder at him, she said, "He says he's with you, Dean."

"Castiel?" Sam said, looking a bit confused. "Why'd you go to Fiona?"

"You're hidden from angels now," Cas reminded him, a snap in his voice. "_All_ angels. Fiona was the only one I was able to focus on."

"Yeah," Bobby snapped, irritably. "How about we skip the foreplay and you get to healing already?"

Castiel took in Bobby's condition and it hurt as he replied, "I can't."

"Say again?" Bobby said, turning to face the angel.

"I'm cut off from Heaven and much of Heaven's power," Castiel confessed, regretfully. "Certain things I can do, some I can't."

Fiona looked at Bobby who seemed to take the angel's words personally. But what did Bobby have to complain about? At least his legs still worked! Turning and heading back to her room, Fiona stopped by the hospital bed and sighed as she looked at her useless legs.

Well, who cared if some angel couldn't fix her up? Going around the room, making sure she had all her things shoved into her bag, Fiona didn't notice her doctor standing in the doorway until the woman cleared her throat as she knocked on the doorframe.

"Leaving so soon?" Dr. Warner said with a smile.

"Uh, Sam and Dean are getting ready to head out of town, so…" Fiona said, setting her bag on the floor.

"Listen," Warner said as she entered the room and sat down so she was level with Fiona. "This isn't going to be easy. I really wish you'd stay at least another couple weeks—just until you really get used to this."

"Look, Sam and Dean are my family," Fiona replied, shaking her head. "And the business we're in… If I could afford to take the time, I would. But I can't. I promise I'll keep up with my exercises and everything."

Warner wanted to find some argument to keep Fiona at the hospital, but knew it was hopeless.

"Hey, Fi," Dean said quickly as he poked his head into the room. "Sam and I are leaving."

"What, now?" Fiona asked, caught off guard.

Dean glanced briefly at Dr. Warner before he nodded. "Yeah, Rufus has got a major situation and needs back up. We'll call you when we get there."

"No you won't, 'cause I'm coming with," Fiona said, quickly, grabbing her bag and setting it in her lap before heading out of the room, Sam following her.

Dean looked at Warner and asked, "Is she okay to leave this soon?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Warner admitted as she stood, holding out a large envelope to Dean. "But I get the sense that Fiona's as stubborn as they come."

"You're not wrong about that," Dean muttered, looking at the contents of the envelope. "What's all this?"

"Strengthening exercises, personal care information, a list of the physical therapists in the country that accept Fiona's health insurance," Warner replied. Catching the look Dean gave her, she added, "Fiona said that you guys were going to be doing a fair amount of traveling."

"Thanks," Dean replied, shaking the doctor's hand. After getting her card in case of an emergency, Dean headed out and down to the lobby where Fiona and Sam were waiting.

As the three headed out to the car, Sam just held the backseat driver's side door open for Fiona, watching as she managed to get herself into the car without any help. After closing the door and watching Dean fold up the wheelchair and put it in the trunk, Sam asked, "Dean, are we doing the right thing here?"

Dean had been wondering the same thing, but after a while, he shrugged. "Guess we'll find out, Sammy."


	13. Good God Y'all!

Chapter 13

* * *

><p><em>Good God, Y'all!<em>

* * *

><p>The drive to River Pass, Colorado was uneventful and Sam, Dean, and Fiona spent much of the time discussing how things would be working. Dean thought that since Fi wasn't as mobile, it wouldn't be safe for her to be in the middle of the fighting.<p>

But Fiona wasn't about to be left behind and said as much as they headed down the dirt road which led to town.

"Damnit," Dean said, pulling to a stop. Getting out of the car, he looked at what had been the only road in or out of town. It looked like they might be able to cross the rocky river bed on foot, but thinking of Fi, Dean cursed again before looking over the edge of the bridge. There was a gap between the edge of the road and the fallen concrete and the slope didn't seem to be too bad…

"Dean?" Sam asked as he got out as well.

Dean looked at the fallen bridge and then at Sam and Fiona who was still in the car. "Looks like we're hiking in," Dean replied, going to the trunk and grabbing their bags.

"Dean, Fi can't climb down this," Sam commented as he looked at the bridge.

"Yeah," Dean muttered, looking again at the fallen bridge and the river bed below. There seemed to be a clear path heading through the woods, but the problem was still all of them getting down there in one piece. "Okay, Sam. You get Fiona. Follow my lead."

Sam didn't want to say that he thought his brother was completely insane for trying to get across, but he had to wonder just what Dean's plan was. Going to the backseat while Dean grabbed Fiona's wheelchair, Sam looked at Fi who seemed to be unsure of what was going on. "Bridge is out," Sam explained.

"So now what?" Fiona wanted to know. Would they just take her back to the nearest motel or what?

"Now we get across," Sam finished, lamely. "Come on."

Fiona moved so she was sitting on the edge of the backseat, her legs hanging out of the car.

Sam bent down and after Fi put her arms around his neck, he picked her up, using his hip to close the car door. Going to the edge of the bridge, Sam saw that Dean was steadying himself at the top of the fallen concrete, where the gap was most narrow. It looked like Dean had dropped the bags down first, using them as a cushion, before sliding the folded up wheelchair down next.

"Okay, Fi," Dean said, making sure his footing was as secure as possible. Holding out his hands towards Fiona, he waited until Sam bent down, leaning forward as best he could. Fi reached for Dean and just as she thought she was going to fall, she felt Dean grab her and she threw her arms around his neck as he held onto her with one hand while his other hand was gripping the twisted metal of the partially demolished bridge.

"Now what?" Fi asked, trying not to sound as scared as she really felt.

Dean didn't reply as he tried to position Fiona as best he could. Looking at her, he said, "Okay, count of three—let go. You should land on the bags."

"Okay," Fi replied, her heart pounding as she tried not to look down.

"Okay," Dean said, hoping this worked. "One… two… three."

Fiona let go and slid down, landing on top of the bags. Letting out the breath she'd been holding, she looked up at Sam and Dean before calling, "I'm alright!"

Up at the top, Dean looked at Sam who just joined him on the broken edge. "Your turn, Sammy."

Sam was about to refuse and tell Dean to go next, but didn't and after a moment, also slid down the concrete, landing next to Fi.

Once Dean had come down, they started on the next phase. Dean grabbed Sam and Fiona's bags and the wheelchair while Sam took Dean's bag and picked Fiona up in his arms again.

Getting to the other side of the river was slow going, but once on the wooded path, Dean set the wheelchair up and Sam gently lowered Fiona into it.

Once they were good to go, Dean took one last look at his car before they headed down the path towards River Pass.

xxxxxxxxxxx

They trio finally made it to town late afternoon and Fiona's hands were scuffed and dirty from the wheelchair. She looked around the town which must have been charming once, but now it reminded her of villages in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sam was ahead of Fi, a sawed-off shotgun in his hands, and Dean was behind, finger on the trigger of his own sawed-off.

As they headed down the street, they stopped, looking at the blood next to a gray car.

Fiona froze as she heard the sound of someone cocking a pistol behind them and wheeled around just as Sam and Dean stepped up, getting between her and their would-be attacker.

But both Winchesters immediately lowered their weapons when they saw that the person who had snuck up on them was Ellen Harvelle.

"Hello, boys," Ellen said, still keeping her gun aimed at the three hunters.

"Ellen, what the heck's going on here?" Dean asked, just as she threw holy water in his face. Blinking, he remembered nearly a year ago when Bobby had greeted him the same way after Dean had showed up at the older hunter's house after getting out of Hell. "You and Bobby sure got a strange way of greeting old friends," Dean muttered, wiping his face off with one hand.

Without another word, Ellen led them into the church nearby and once the door closed, she hugged Dean. "Real glad to see you guys," she said, her voice shaking the slightest bit. But a second later, she backed away and slapped Dean hard across the face. "The can of whoop-ass I oughta open on you!" she said, irritably. "What, you can't pick up a phone? Are you allergic to giving me peace of mind?"

"Things have been a little… crazy," Fiona explained, lamely, indicating herself.

Ellen looked at Fiona and her anger seemed to ebb. "Sorry. Things have been… well, come on," she said, heading for the stairs, stopping as she looked back at Fiona.

"It's cool," Dean assured her before nodding at Sam who picked Fiona up and followed Ellen down the stairs, Dean following with the wheelchair. "So what's going on, Ellen?"

"More than I can handle alone," Ellen confessed. Sneaking a glance at Fiona, she started, "You sure you're up to—?"

But Ellen was cut off as Sam asked, "So how many demons are we looking at?"

"Pretty much the whole town—minus the dead people and these guys," Ellen replied, understanding what Sam was trying to avoid saying. Knocking on the door, she waited until someone looked through the makeshift peephole. "It's me," she confirmed.

The door opened and Sam and Dean walked through, with Fi bringing up the rear.

The group was small, and most of them looked a bit lost with exception to the mid-20's guy guarding the door.

Closing the door behind them, Fiona turned to look at the others. At best guess, only 4 of these guys had ever seen real fighting and she was surprised when the kid guarding the door straightened up as he looked at her.

"Good to see you again, Gunny," he said with a dry smile.

"Jason?" Fiona said, suddenly recognizing him. "How're you doing?"

"Been better," Jason replied, quietly.

Ellen introduced Sam, Dean, and Fi, and while Fiona got a few looks from the others, she tried to ignore them.

"Listen, no offense," a guy in a rumpled suit said, pointing to Fiona doubtfully before looking at Ellen, Sam and Dean. "—but she doesn't exactly seem like the best back up in the world," he added, derisively.

Jason started towards the suit guy, anger in his eyes, but a hand held him back. Looking to see that Fiona was the one restraining him, he said to her, "Look, if this guy knew what you've done—"

"That's enough," Fi said, firmly.

Jason backed off, but he kept glaring at the guy in the suit. "Sorry, ma'am."

"It's fine," Fiona assured him.

"The two of you served together?" Asked a young black girl who looked to be in her teens.

"Yeah," Jason replied, nodding. "Brendon here… she, uh… she saved my life one night."

Fi wheeled over to the table in the middle of the room, looking at the assembled group. She didn't honestly know what she could do from an offensive view, but she did know how to plan an attack. Maybe she could help here after all.

"So how'd you get into all this?" The young pregnant woman asked, curiously.

Fiona gave her a smile and asked, "What's your name?"

"Liz," the woman replied, a hand on her swollen abdomen.

"Call me 'Fi'," Fiona said, shaking hands with Liz and her husband, Mike. "And to answer your question, my dad was a hunter. Sam and Dean? Their father was one, too."

"Is that how you, uh…?" Mike started to say, unsure of how to ask the question.

"Yeah," Fi replied, shortly. Giving Liz a reassuring look, she said, "Look, I can't think of anyone I'd trust more than Sam and Dean, okay? And Ellen? Don't let her sweet demeanor fool you. She's as feisty as a Mama Bear when her cubs are in danger."

"Yeah, but…" Liz looked at Fiona and tried to feel reassured, but the fact that this woman, this… this _hunter_ was in a wheelchair because of these demons wasn't exactly helping.

"Look, what happened to me was a random fluke," Fi pressed. "And it was a rookie mistake that I shouldn't have made."

"Fi," Dean called from over near the door.

Fiona went over and looked from Dean to Sam. "You guys are leaving?" she asked.

"Supply run," Sam replied. "Need you to stay here with Ellen—get these folks trained on the guns.

"Right," Fi nodded, knowing she couldn't go along with the boys. Before Sam left the room, Fiona stopped him, giving Ellen and Dean a silent look.

Ellen nodded and went off to talk to the priest who looked like he was unsure of what to do.

"I'll be upstairs, Sammy," Dean said, patting his brother on the back before leaving the room.

Fiona looked at Sam, wanting to tell him to be careful… that she was sorry she started all of this… "So, uh… it turns out… we can still have sex," Fiona said, giving Sam a smirk. "Which means you need to make it back here so we can figure out how things work on that front."

Sam bent down and gave Fiona a long kiss before he turned and headed out the door.

Meeting Dean at the top of the stairs, Sam noticed the look on his brother's face. It was that sly smile Dean always wore when he caught his little brother watching porn or flirting with an attractive waitress at a diner. "What?" Sam asked, frowning.

"Nothing, Sammy," Dean said a little too quickly.

Sam knew his brother only too well and glared when he realized what Dean was grinning about. "You were listening, weren't you?"

"I'm impressed, Sammy," Dean said as the two headed outside and towards the sporting goods store in town.

"Impressed with what?" Sam asked, not sure if he wanted to hear this.

Dean stopped, licking his lips and looking around as he thought of how to phrase the thought. Looking at Sam, he said, "That the two of you aren't giving up."

"Giving up what?" Sam asked, still not sure he was understanding.

"I read the literature, dude," Dean clarified, even though the combined idea of 'Fiona' and 'sex' in the same sentence still weirded him out. "I mean, yeah, Fi can still have sex, but it's not like she'd get anything out of it, you know?"

"Dude!" Sam said, his expression equal parts disbelief and disgust. "I'm not talking about my sex life with you!"

"I'm not asking you to," Dean snapped back. Biting his lower lip as he ran a hand over his face, he sighed and said, "But after… you know… I was worried that if you and Fi couldn't have sex it might kill the relationship."

"You don't have to have sex to have a lasting relationship with someone," Sam countered. "I mean Bobby and Ellen—"

"Sammy, if you finish that sentence, I swear to God I will beat your ass," Dean warned, even though the imagery was already seared into his brain.

Sam nodded and looked at the Quick Mart and then at the sporting goods store. Turning back to Dean, he said, "I'll get the salt, you get the guns?"

Dean hesitated and shrugged as he said, "Why don't we go together?"

Sam frowned, not sure why Dean wanted them to stick together. "Look, it's faster this way, alright? I'll be fine. I can handle a couple demons, Dean."

But Dean had his doubts as he went to the abandoned store, loading up on shotguns and rifles, even nabbing a couple flare guns, just in case. After snatching some extra lighters and other things, he paused, thinking of what Sam had said. He knew his brother could handle demons, but right now it was _how_ Sam might handle them that had him on edge.

Sure the detox had taken, but who was to say that Sam wouldn't fall off the wagon if the opportunity presented itself.

Coming out of the store, Dean stopped as he saw two figures heading towards the Quick Mart. Raising his shotgun, he carefully followed.

xx

Dispatching the two demons was almost too easy, and while Sam wished he could believe that it was simply because they were unprepared, something didn't sit right with him.

Looking at the blood dripping from the knife, Sam was suddenly gripped by a strong, unrelenting desire to lick the blood from the blade. Demon blood… the very thought of it made his heart rate quicken. But this was wrong… it was all wrong… The blood had the same pull, but the smell wasn't the same.

It was that alone that kept Sam from giving into his impulses.

That and the arrival of Dean whose expression was unreadable as he took in the sight of his brother standing next to two dead demons, their blood pooling by Sam's feet. "Come on, Sam," Dean said, flatly, keeping his eyes on his brother as they headed back to the church.

xxxx

Between Ellen, Jason, and Fiona, by the time Sam and Dean got back the others were doing fairly well with the guns.

The teenage girl—Natalie—seemed to be unsure of her way around the guns and Fiona went over to her. "I just… I'm not comfortable with this," Natalie protested.

"It takes a while to get used to it," Fiona assured her, pulling out the Colt .38 Super she favored. Putting the safety on, she pulled the clip and drew back the slide to clear the bullet from the firing chamber. "Okay: Watch and learn."

Natalie nodded, watching Fiona load the loose bullet into the clip before loading the clip into the gun pulling the slide.

Fiona handed the gun over to the teenager, and smiled as the girl managed to unload and reload the clip before pulling the slide and putting the safety off and back on. Going to her bag and pulling out the Smith and Wesson .38 she kept in there, she handed it to Natalie. "Same thing. Show me."

Natalie did so, still feeling a bit uneasy, but the gun seemed to be easier to handle. "Thanks."

"When you shoot—" Fi went on, showing the teenager how to hold the gun before correcting her stance. "—be careful how you stand. Recoil can catch you off guard the first time."

"Um, what do I aim for?" Natalie asked, thinking if she actually had to shoot someone.

"Either the shoulders or the legs," Fiona replied after thinking for a long moment. "Aim for the chest or stomach only if you have no other choice."

The teenager nodded, trying to show more bravery than she felt.

xxxx

When Ellen and Sam left to go find Jo and Rufus, Fiona again had the uncomfortable trapped feeling she'd had when they first arrived.

She didn't want to be stuck in this small room in a church basement! She wanted to be out with Sam and Ellen, or… or doing _something_ other than just sitting on her ass.

But that was the whole problem—sitting on her ass was the only thing she _could_ do.

* * *

><p>"Why the hell would you haul Fiona into this?" Ellen demanded to know as she and Sam walked down the street.<p>

"She wanted to come, Ellen," Sam replied, flatly. "I don't like it. I think it's a bad idea, but…"

"But what?" When Sam didn't elaborate, Ellen stopped walking and waited until the younger hunter looked at her. "What is going on with you three? I mean, Dean doesn't want you to be out here, you're acting like a recovering alcoholic at a wine tasting, and both of you are treating Fiona like she's useless. So I'll ask again—what's going on?"

"Look, can we not talk about this now?" Sam asked.

"Sam, I don't know what happened between you and Dean," Ellen said, the maternal side of her coming out in spades at that moment. "But you boys and Fiona? The three of you are stronger together."

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to the others, even to the Horseman—War, himself—an undercover archangel watched the town of River Pass.<p>

He watched the ragtag group of humans as they discovered the source of all the chaos and he watched as Sam and Dean took War's ring, bringing an end to the carnage.

The archangel knew that whoever was left alive would never set foot in this town again. It was a shame, really.

Before leaving to enjoy a few days in the tropical sunshine, he decided to see what was up with the Winchesters and Fiona.

* * *

><p>Other than being bruised and banged up, Natalie was doing okay and heading for her aunt and uncle's home in Wyoming.<p>

Liz and Mike were heading to Mike's parents house in Maine.

Ellen and Jo had promised to keep in touch as they headed out with Rufus.

Watching Sam and Dean sitting at a picnic table, talking, Fiona jumped a bit when Jason came up to her and touched her shoulder. "How're you doing, Jason?"

Jason gave a dry laugh and shrugged as he moved to face his former CO. "I'm not going to be sitting on a hill pointing a gun to my head this time, if that's what you mean." After a while, he sighed, "I'm glad you were here, Gunny." Seeing that Fiona looked doubtful, he went on. "I mean it. I mean that kid, Natalie? You should have seen her. She handled that gun like a pro."

Fiona knew what he was trying to say, but she just didn't want to hear it. "Take care of yourself, Marine," she said, straightening up a bit.

"You, too," Jason replied, giving her a salute before he said, "Semper fi."

The smile Fiona gave him in return was genuine as she replied, "Ooh-rah."

* * *

><p>"So, pit-stop on Mount Doom?" Dean said with a weak attempt at a smile.<p>

"Dean…" Sam began, his tone serious.

"Sam, let's not," Dean cut in, quickly. He'd felt the talk coming for a while now, but he hadn't been in the mood. He still didn't feel like talking about it, but knew that right now it was unavoidable.

"No, listen—this is important," Sam insisted. "I know you don't trust me. I don't trust me either."

Dean found that interesting and listened as Sam talked.

"Dean, when I saw the blood in that store, I wanted it," Sam went on. "It didn't smell like demon blood, but the pull was so strong…" He took a moment and then got to the point. "I'm in no condition to be hunting. We have enough to worry about without the idea of me falling off the wagon."

"Well, I'm not going to argue with you on that," Dean admitted. "So what do you want to do?"

"I think we need to go our separate ways for a while," Sam replied, looking at his brother.

"I think you're right," Dean muttered, even though it hurt to say it. Putting War's ring away in a pocket of his jacket, he looked at Sam and voiced the question of the moment. "What about Fi?"

Sam thought about that long and hard for a while. In truth, he wanted Fiona with him. But there was a part of him that was afraid that he'd be trading one addiction for another. "She should go with you," he said, knowing that he'd spend every second missing her.

"Alright then," Dean said with a tone of finality. When Sam headed off to catch a ride from one of the River Pass survivors, Dean turned to look at Fiona who seemed surprised. But after a while, they got into the Impala which Sam had driven from where they'd left it on the bridge to the park.

Driving away, Dean wondered if maybe this would be a good chance for him and Fi to try and fix the gaps between them.


	14. Free to be You and Me

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I would like to thank deanstheman for the help with this chapter. I found this one a bit tricky given that I'm jumping between story lines but hopefully it works. I also included the flashback to how Sam, Dean, and Fi got their 'Watership Down' nicknames.

Chapter 14

* * *

><p><em>Free to be You and Me<em>

* * *

><p>The Walton Rehabilitation Center in Webster, Oklahoma was quiet when Sam entered, heading for the reception desk. "Excuse me?" he said, looking at the heavyset woman sitting there.<p>

"Can I help you?" The head nurse—Gloria Jenks—said, shortly.

"I'm here about the therapist assistant position you have open," Sam said, trying to be as charming as possible, even though that wasn't his usual method of dealing with people.

"Any experience working in a place like this, son?" Gloria asked, narrowing her eyes at Sam.

"No," Sam admitted, making up a story on the spot. "But that's why I need the job." Seeing Gloria's raised eyebrow, he went on. "Little over a month ago, my girlfriend ended up paralyzed. And I'm not exactly sure about… you know…how to help her. I figure maybe you can let me learn on the job."

Gloria nodded, thoughtfully. She wasn't keen on the idea of hiring someone with no experience, but this young man looked strong and she could understand wanting to learn how to take care of someone who was handicapped. "We'll do a trial run," she said, finally. "See how you fit in around here." Flagging down one of the therapists, Gloria pointed to Sam. "Zoey, this is…"

"Jared Patterson," Sam said, holding out a hand to the woman.

Zoey Morrison studied Sam intently before asking, "Any experience?"

"On the job training, Zoey, honey," Gloria replied with a knowing look.

"Okay," the younger woman said, looking curious at the arrangement. "In that case, Jared, let's start with a tour."

"Okay," Sam said, relieved that he wasn't just going to be dismissed. If he was taking a temporarily leave of absence, he might as well do something that might help in the long run.

* * *

><p><em>Uniontown, Pennsylvania<em>

For the first 24 hours after leaving River Pass, Fiona and Dean didn't talk much except for the usual questions regarding diners and motels.

It seemed like both of them were trying to fill the hole left by Sam but they didn't seem to know how to do it.

The following day, Dean woke to find Fiona lying on her back on the floor doing sit-ups. "How long have you been up?" he asked, getting out of bed.

"Just an hour or two," Fiona replied, stopping and scooting over to her wheelchair. It took her a few minutes, but she finally managed to lift herself up and once she was seated, she looked at Dean who seemed unsure of what to do. "I had to use the bathroom and I couldn't get back to sleep."

"You should have woken me up," Dean said, running a hand through his hair.

"I managed without help, Dean," Fiona replied, going to her bed and grabbing her bag, pulling out clothes. "So… any news on possible cases?"

"Uh, no, not really," Dean stammered. After a moment, he said, "Uh, let me hit the can and get dressed and we'll go grab some breakfast, okay?"

"Sounds good," Fiona replied, already changing from the camisole top she slept in and into a t-shirt.

When Dean came out of the bathroom a few moments later, he noticed that Fi was having some trouble changing from her pajama bottoms into her jeans. "Need some help?" he asked.

Fiona looked from her lower body to the pair of jeans still lying in a heap by her feet. She'd managed to get the pajama bottoms off, but getting dressed would require a little help. Looking up at Dean, she didn't say anything, only nodded reluctantly.

Dean just nodded in return and slowly went over to Fiona who had pulled her jeans up as far as her knees. Before he could ask how she wanted him to help her, she gripped the shoulder of his shirt tightly with one hand, pulling herself up enough to use her other hand to pull her jeans over her hips.

Slowly lowering herself back down, Fiona just gave Dean a grateful look.

Dean nodded and looked at the socks and boots on the bed. "Ready for round two?"

xx

Half an hour later, the two were at a diner and Dean decided to say what he'd been thinking since the previous night. "So there's a rehab facility near Greeley."

"Dean, I'm—" Fiona started to say before she was cut off.

"I'm not saying long term," Dean interrupted. "But there might be a job there. I can handle that, and you can—"

"I can what?" Fiona cut in. She stopped, hearing the defensive snap in her voice. "Dean, I'm okay. I'm doing exercises and I know how to take care of myself."

Dean rubbed his face with one hand and sighed. "I'm not saying you're helpless, Fi. I'm not. But I'm not an expert in this. Just… Just humor me, okay?"

Fiona was silent for a while, just giving the waitress a nod when she brought the plates and coffee. Looking at Dean, she said, "I don't know if this is going to work."

"I'm trying to help," Dean argued. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Fiona admitted, shaking her head. Rubbing the back of her neck, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Looking at Dean again, she let out a long sigh. "Okay. We'll… We'll go to Greeley."

"You sure?" Dean asked, wondering what was with the change of mind.

"Yeah," Fiona sighed again as she thought of this morning.

* * *

><p><em>Washington, D.C.<em>

On the upside, Bobby's doctors had been able to release him earlier than predicted.

The downside was that he had 2 months of physical therapy to look forward to before he could start walking again.

"So you gonna just sit there, or do you want to go home?"

Sitting in the standard hospital wheelchair, looking out the window of the room he'd been in for over a month, Bobby hadn't heard Ellen come in. Wheeling around to face her, Bobby suddenly couldn't help the way his face turned red as he caught the smile she gave him. What was he—a teenager who'd finally worked up the courage to talk to the head cheerleader? "Let's go," he muttered, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Ellen stepped behind him, wheeling Bobby out of the room and down the hallway. "Jo's waiting with the car downstairs."

"Not my car?" Bobby asked, suddenly worried.

"No, mine," Ellen replied. After a while, though, she asked, "Why?"

"No offense," Bobby said, thinking of the younger Harvelle. "But your daughter drives worse than Dean."

"Yeah, that's why I don't usually let her drive," Ellen laughed. Once she'd signed Bobby out of the hospital, she wheeled him out to the curb where Jo was waiting with the battered old SUV.

* * *

><p>It only took Sam two days to realize that he'd underestimated what he didn't know about working with someone who was disabled. The therapists had run through the basics of what he'd been doing and after explaining why he was there, Sam had found himself working more with the other paraplegics at the center.<p>

There was a laundry list of exercises and stretches the other physical therapists showed him how to do and more than that, he learned that some of the ways he'd been trying to help Fiona had been the opposite of what he should have been doing.

At the end of the week, Sam found himself sitting across from one of the other therapists at a café near the center.

"So what are you really doing here?" Diane Grant asked, finishing off the first half of her sandwich. "I mean, I know you said your girlfriend was hurt. But what's the real reason?"

Sam paused in eating his salad and thought about how to answer. "Fiona… got hurt because of me," he said finally. "I was, uh… I-I was kinda messed up for a while and Fi went to handle this mess I made." Looking down at his plate, he added, "She got stabbed because of me. And now I don't know how to help her… or myself."

Diane thought about that for a while before she said, "So is it that she hasn't forgiven you? Or is it that you can't forgive yourself?"

"A little of both, I think," Sam admitted, quietly.

* * *

><p>The vampire problem in Greeley had thankfully been easy to deal with—except for the fact that Dean had had to decapitate the son of a bitch on the hood of his car.<p>

While Dean washed the blood off the Impala, he thought about how different things had been this week. Even though Fi had been spending her days at the rehab center, she'd still found time to help with research on the apocalypse before grabbing a couple hours sleep.

The physios had been working with Fiona on strengthening exercises and had shown Dean how to do the leg stretches to help keep the muscles limber as well as a few ways to help Fi get dressed easier.

x

Getting back to the motel late that night, Dean wasn't surprised to find Fiona already asleep. As thin as she'd been stretching herself lately, the crash was inevitable. Dropping his bag of weapons on his bed, Dean shed his jacket and took it into the bathroom to try and wash the blood out of it.

As if he subconsciously sensed someone behind him, Dean glanced at the bathroom mirror, jumping when he saw Castiel standing behind him. "Don't do that!" he said, quietly.

"Hello, Dean," Castiel replied, also keeping his voice down to avoid waking Fiona. Backing away a bit, he glanced over at the sleeping hunter. Because Fiona shared such a strong connection with the Winchesters, it was easy for the angel to hone in on her location as a way to also find Sam and Dean.

"So how'd you find me?" Dean asked, coming out of the bathroom and tossing his jacket on the bed. "Thought I was flying below the angel radar."

"You are," Castiel confirmed. "Fiona is not. I was able to use her to track you." Looking around the motel room, he asked, "Where's Sam?"

"We're taking separate vacations for a while," Dean replied after a pause while he grabbed his favorite shirt out of his bag, pulling it on over his t-shirt. "So, did you find God yet?" he asked, starting to roll up the sleeves. "More importantly—can I have my damn necklace back, please?" He felt uncomfortable without the amulet hanging around his neck—like some vital part of him was missing.

"No, I haven't found Him," Castiel replied, flatly. "I need your help."

But before Dean could reply, Fiona's cell phone rang. Grabbing it before Fi woke up, Dean was surprised to hear Ellen's voice.

"Hey, is Fiona around?" Ellen asked, quickly.

"She's out," Dean replied, looking at Fi who was still snoring, lightly. "What's up?"

"Bobby got a call from Sam about—" Ellen stopped and Dean could distinctly hear Bobby yelling in the background. "I'm talking to him right now, Bobby! I thought _you_ were calling _Jo_! Sorry, Dean," Ellen said after a moment. "Listen, I'm sure you're probably already on a case or something, but Jo could use some back up on a case in Garber, Oklahoma."

Dean looked from Fiona to Castiel. He didn't like the idea of Fiona going on a hunt by herself—especially if her only back-up was Jo Harvelle. On the other hand, there was the fact that Cas needed help, too. "Look, we're kinda busy right now, Ellen." But realizing that splitting up again was unavoidable, he added, "Fi and I are at the Woodview Motel in Greeley, Pennsylvania. Room 12. Just tell Jo to call before she swings by."

"You got it," Ellen promised. "Thanks, Dean. I owe you one."

Dean sighed as he hung up, looking from Cas to Fi and back again. He went over to Fiona, shaking her shoulder until she finally opened her eyes, glaring at him.

"What the hell do you want?" Fi grumbled as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. She blinked when she saw Cas and asked, "What's going on?"

Dean sat on Fi's bed, facing her as he said, "Ellen called. Jo needs back-up and Cas needs help with something."

"So why the hell did you wake me up?" Fiona replied, yawning.

"Jo is on her way here," Dean filled in. "Question is: do you want to go with her or do you want me to?"

Fiona considered the question for a moment. Dean would want her to go with Castiel, but right now Fi was in no mood to work with the angel who had basically sent her to Lilith unprepared for the meeting. If she had known that the demon was the final seal… "I'll go with Jo," Fi said, shrugging. "You and Castiel take care of… well, whatever." Lying back down, she asked, "Now can I _please_ go back to sleep?"

When Dean was satisfied, he gave Cas a meaningful look and jerked his head in the direction of the door. When they were outside, Dean asked, "So what exactly do you need my help with?"

"An archangel," Castiel replied. "The one who killed me. I've heard that he's in Maine."

"Alright," Dean replied, nodding. He wasn't keen on joining Cas's little search for God, but he owed the angel at least a few times.

"Let's go," Castiel said, raising one hand to teleport Dean who quickly backed away.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dean said, quickly, putting up a hand to stop the angel.

"What?" Cas asked, sounding impatient.

"Last time you zapped me someplace, I didn't poop for a week!" Dean said, still vaguely feeling the cramps. When Cas frowned at that, Dean just said, "We're driving."

"Very well," Castiel acquiesced.

"So we'll wait until morning and then take off, okay?" Dean said, going to the door. Back inside the motel room, he kicked his shoes off and flopped down on his own bed to grab some sleep before road-tripping with Castiel.

* * *

><p>On the one hand, Jo Harvelle couldn't believe that her mother was refusing to let her go alone on the job in Garber.<p>

But the idea of working with Fiona Brendon—a hunter who also happened to be a tough-as-nails former Marine—sounded like fun.

As she drove to Pennsylvania, Jo thought about her unexpected push into being a hunter. It had started out as sneaking off and working a case with Sam and Dean a couple years ago and snowballed from there. She found a small group of hunters while investigating a haunting in Iowa and quickly hooked up with them.

Then she'd heard from her mother that Rufus needed help with a major demon situation in Colorado.

Hearing her phone ring, Jo grabbed it and grinned as she saw her mother's name on the caller ID. "What's going on?"

"Just checking in," Ellen replied, trying to sound like she wasn't worried. "How're you doin', Jo honey?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Jo assured her. "Just heading to Greeley right now."

"Be careful," Ellen said, gently, knowing that her daughter would be.

"I will, Mom," Jo promised before hanging up.

xxxx

It was nearing 8 o'clock when Jo pulled into the motel parking next to the black '67 Chevy Impala. Getting out of the car, she went to the room number Dean had given her and knocked, after a moment, the door opened and she stepped in, surprised to see that Dean was missing.

"Dean and Cas had something up in Maine," Fiona replied, wheeling over to her bed and grabbing her bag and stuffing a few last things into it. Looking over at Jo, she said, "Your mom didn't tell you what happened?"

"She said you got stabbed," Jo replied, pulling her gaze away from the wheelchair Fi was in. "She just didn't tell me how bad."

"I'll tell you everything on the way," Fi promised, grabbing her bag and setting it on her lap before heading for the door.

Once outside, Jo went to the passenger side door of her car and opened it. "So…"

"Relax, Jo," Fi said with a smile. "I can get in okay."

Jo nodded, uncertainly, but as she walked around the front of the car, she stopped, watching Fiona get in the car before folding up the wheelchair and pulling it inside before putting it in the backseat.

The two set off and Jo was extremely quiet as she drove. As they started towards Ohio, Jo asked, "So what happened that night?"

"I screwed up," Fi replied, shrugging. "Lilith possessed me and… And I said some things to Sam and Dean."

"Like what?" Jo asked, looking straight ahead. She remembered when Sam had been possessed and had taunted her with how her father had really died.

Fi sighed, hating as she remembered what she'd said. "I told Dean he was weak and broken… And I said… some other stuff to Sam."

"I don't know if they told you, but a couple years ago, Sam was possessed," Jo said, glancing at Fi before turning back to the road. "This demon, Meg… She said stuff… About how my dad really died."

Fiona didn't say anything for a while, and as it got later, she said, "When we were kids, Sam, Dean, and I were staying with Gibbs' family while our dads were on a hunt. Sammy was 8, Dean was 12, and I'd just had my 16th birthday. Gibbs' daughter, Kelly, had seen part of the movie 'Watership Down' on TV and she wanted to read the book."

Jo smiled a bit as she imagined the group reading the book, taking turns doing the voices for the different characters. "Sounds like fun."

Fiona nodded, remembering that time and wishing things had played out differently. "Kelly gave me, Sam, and Dean nicknames based on three of the rabbits in the book," she went on, going back into the memory.

* * *

><p><em>November 7<em>_th__, 1992_

_Washington, DC_

_Gibbs Residence_

_Most kids had their clubhouses in a treehouse in the backyard._

_Kelly Gibbs had hers in the basement of her house, underneath the boat her daddy was building._

_Huddled underneath the boat, she, Sam and Dean Winchester, and Fiona Brendon read 'Watership Down', even taking turns doing voices._

_When the book was finished, Kelly said, "I wish I was a rabbit."_

"_Oh, yeah?" Fiona asked with a smile. "Which rabbit would you be?"_

_Kelly thought about it for a while and finally replied, "Hyzenthlay." Looking at Dean, she grinned. "You can be Bigwig."_

"_Why Bigwig?" Dean asked, frowning a bit._

"_Because he's strong and tough, and he looks out for the other rabbits," Kelly explained. "And Sammy can be Hazel because he's really smart and really brave."_

_Fiona looked at the others, feeling just the slightest bit left out._

_But Kelly seemed to know that and she beamed as she said, "Fi, you're Fiver."_

"_Why does Fi get to be Fiver?" Sammy asked, frowning._

"_Because none of the other rabbits would have made it without Fiver," Dean replied, simply, giving the girl that was his best friend a smile._

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

_Waterville, Maine_

Castiel wasn't much of a talker and it made the drive to Maine seem even longer. It was also the first time that Dean had honestly missed Sam and Fiona. At least they were good for conversation.

"Tell me again what we're doing here," Dean said as he parked the Impala across from the police station and got out of the car, Castiel following suit.

"A deputy sheriff laid eyes on the archangel," Castiel replied, following Dean up to the building.

"And he still has eyes?" Dean asked, surprised. He still remembered how Pamela Barnes had taken just a peek at Cas's true form and her eyes had burned out of her skull. When the angel didn't answer, Dean sighed and looked at the police station. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

"We'll tell the officer that he witnessed an angel of the Lord," Cas replied, as though the answer were obvious. "Then he'll tell us where the angel is."

"Seriously?" Dean said, not believing what he was hearing. "You're gonna walk in there and tell them the truth?"

"Why not?" Castiel replied, confused. Humans were such complicated creatures. Wouldn't life be easier if everyone was straightforward and honest?"

'_Because if you tell the cops the truth,'_ Dean thought as he rummaged for the spare FBI ID he had. _'—you'll be locked in a padded room instead of finding God.'_ But out loud, he said, "Because we're humans." Putting the extra ID in the inside pocket of Cas's trenchcoat, he added, "And when humans want something really, really bad—we lie."

Looking back on it, Dean thought that the meeting with Deputy Sheriff Framingham hadn't gone as badly as it could have been. Sure the officer probably thought that FBI agents Mosley and Moscone were nutjobs that probably were on someone's shitlist.

But when he and Cas got to St. Pete's Hospital, and Dean saw the catatonic man that had once housed the archangel they were searching for, Dean felt sick to his stomach. "So is this what I'm looking at if Michael jumps my bones?" he asked, really not wanting to hear the answer.

"No, not at all," Castiel replied, earnestly. "Michael is much more powerful. It'll be far worse for you."

Dean swallowed and looked away, not wanting to think about 'far worse'.

* * *

><p>Getting to the rehab center early on Monday morning, Sam stopped when he saw a tall, leggy brunette standing at the front desk. Before she even turned around, before he even heard her speak, Sam knew who it was. He knew her by the scent of her and he could feel his heart pounding as he imagined the taste of her blood.<p>

When the woman turned in his direction, Sam stiffened as Ruby smiled at him, pretending that she wasn't part of the reason that he was here and not with Dean and Fiona.

"Hey there, stranger," Ruby said as Sam approached her, his expression stony. Thankfully, he didn't seem to have any weapons on him which made her feel just a little bit safer.

"What are you doing here, Ruby?" Sam demanded after pulling her off to the side.

"Can't I just come visit an old lover?" Ruby asked with a smile.

"No," Sam snapped, irritably. "Now answer the question."

Ruby looked around the building as if looking for someone. "Couple of your hunting buddies caught wind of your abilities with the demon blood. Until this morning, they were on their way here."

"What did you do?" Sam asked coldly. When Ruby didn't answer, he tightened his grip on her arm and asked again, "Ruby… What did you do?"

"They're alive, Sam," Ruby said, quietly, trying to pull her arm from Sam's grip. "And I laid a trail leading towards Oregon." Finally getting free, she pulled down the sleeves of her shirt and headed towards the door without another word.

"Long story?" Diane said as she walked up to Sam who was watching Ruby head across the parking lot. When Sam gave her a puzzled look, she said, "That chick you were talking to." When Sam stayed silent, she gently took his hand and led him to the cafeteria before getting both of them cups of coffee. "Start from the beginning."

"You're a shrink _and_ a physical therapist?" Sam asked, with a soft laugh.

"And I'm working on master chef on my days off," Diane replied with a smile.

Sam thought for a moment and finally said, "More than a year ago, I… I almost lost my brother. He was… He was in a coma for four months. No brain activity, nothing. He was… He was basically dead."

Diane didn't say anything, but she put a comforting hand on Sam's.

"Ruby… got me into it," Sam went on, staring down at his barely touched coffee cup. "I didn't want to, but… But at first it helped with the pain and the guilt. Dean was hurt trying to save my life."

"Have you ever talked to a shrink about this?" Diane asked, frowning.

Sam shook his head. "What my brother and I used to do, it's a family business. Not a lot of people would understand."

Realizing that Sam didn't want to get into it, she said, "So what happened with your brother and Ruby?"

"Uh, Dean woke up," Sam went on. "He found out that Ruby was getting me addicted. Tried to warn me over and over and… I didn't listen."

"You're here now," Diane observed. "And you look healthy to me."

"Near-death experience, detox…" Sam said with a shrug. "But I still hurt people. And I didn't trust myself with my old job." Letting out a nervous laugh, he said, "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No, I don't," Diane replied, honestly. When Sam looked up, she sighed. "I was a partier in college. Booze, drugs, sex… I did it all. And my brother was always there to pull me out of each and every single mess. Never complained, didn't judge…"

Sam nodded, thinking of Dean and Fi. "So what happened?"

"Brian was out of town when I called him one night," Diane said, with a long sigh. "I tried to drive home. Crashed the car—broke both legs, shattered my right elbow, broke 3 ribs… internal injuries, head trauma… I was in a coma for nearly a year. Took another 5 years to learn to walk again." She squeezed Sam's hand, giving him a smile. "Brian never left my side. He never gave up on me."

"Dean and I lost our mother when he was 4 and I was 6 months old," Sam told Diane after downing his coffee in one go. "Our Dad died 4 years ago. The only family we have left is our friend Bobby and Fiona."

"I know it's hard dealing with recovery," Diane interjected. "But you can't cut yourself off. You've got to have someone in your corner to back you up."

* * *

><p>The demon attack had happened suddenly as soon as Jo and Fiona were out of the car, getting ready to enter the motel. It was if the demons had been expecting them.<p>

Without a second to think, Fi tossed a shotgun to Jo who caught it, firing a shot at the nearest demon while Fiona whipped out her knife, stabbing one demon in the gut before reaching behind her and catching another in the chest. Seeing another demon rush Jo from behind, Fi shouted out a warning, tossing the knife while Jo tossed the shotgun.

Fiona got off a shot, giving Jo enough time to avoid the attack and slit the demon's throat. But suddenly, one of the demons grabbed the back of Fiona's wheelchair, while another grabbed the shotgun, tossing it across the parking lot. Without even thinking, Fi launched herself out of the wheelchair, grabbing at the nearest demon and pulling her down to the ground before saying the exorcism incantation.

Jo made a run for the shotgun, and managed to toss it to Fiona just before another demon grabbed her.

Fiona tried to raise the shotgun to take a shot but another demon grabbed her, throwing her into another car.

"FI!"

At first, Fiona thought she was imagining things, especially when her vision started to blur and she felt herself losing consciousness.

It couldn't really be Sam.

Could it?

xx

Fiona groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. Blinking as she looked around, he felt a sudden stab of pain in her side and her head throbbed.

"Fiona?" Jo said, watching the older hunter as she slowly sat up, a hand on her side.

"Please tell me you sent those damn demons back to Hell," Fiona groaned, giving up on sitting up and slowly lying back down.

"Yeah, they're gone," Jo confirmed, holding out a couple painkillers and a glass of scotch.

Fi sat up just a bit before she took the offering and downed the pills followed by the booze. Lying back down, she blinked as she saw the man sitting at the table nearby, working on a laptop. "Sam?" she said, puzzled.

"Fi," Sam replied, getting up when he heard his name and went over to Fiona, helping her sit up before putting a few extra pillows behind her. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I was thrown against a car," Fiona replied, gently rubbing the back of her head. Frowning as she looked at Sam who was sitting on the edge of the bed, she asked, "What're you doing here?"

"I called Ellen and she told me you were in town," Sam said with a shrug. After his talk with Diane the day before, he realized she was right and after his shift was over for the day, Sam had called Ellen to find out where Fiona was.

The problem had been that there were 3 motels in the area and after checking the first two, Sam had headed for the last one.

When he'd started to pull in, he heard a shotgun blast and had careened into the lot, jumping out of the car just as a demon threw Fiona into another car. When Sam thought about what might have happened if he'd been too late—or if he'd just stayed where he was, he felt sick to his stomach.

* * *

><p>One couldn't leave Maine without sampling an authentic lobster roll.<p>

Especially if that one happened to be a hunter who had avoided death or worse at the hands of a rather sadistic teenager-mutant-ninja-archangel.

Sitting in a seafood shack by the beach, Dean reflected on the past few days.

His drive with Castiel had been filled with mostly one-sided conversation and even after getting to Maine, things hadn't seemed to be any better. Especially not after Raphael had dropped the news that God was dead—something that Castiel hadn't reacted well to.

But on the other hand, trying to get the fallen angel laid had made for one of the most entertaining nights of his life.

"Are you alright?" Castiel asked as he suddenly appeared across from Dean.

"Yeah," Dean replied, setting his lobster roll down on his plate and grabbing the ketchup for his French fries. "What about you?" When Castiel said nothing, Dean set the ketchup bottle down and moved his plate back a bit before resting his arms on the table, leaning forward. "Look, I'll be the first person to tell you that this little crusade of yours is nuts. But I do know a little something about missing fathers."

"What do you mean?" Cas asked, frowning a bit.

"I mean there were times when I was looking for my dad when... all logic said that he was dead," Dean replied, giving Castiel a meaningful look. "But I knew, in my heart, that he was still alive. So who cares what some mutant ninja turtle says, Cas," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "What do _you_ believe?"

"I believe he's out there," Cas replied, simply. Although, truth be told, his belief was more about denial, rather than what his heart told him. God _had_ to be out there. There was no alternative.

"Good," Dean said, encouragingly. "Then go find him."

"What about you?" Cas asked, wondering how Dean was doing flying solo.

"What about me?" Dean repeated, caught off guard by the question a little bit. But as he started thinking about it, he finally replied, I dunno. Honestly? I'm good. I can't believe I'm saying that, but I am. I'm really good."

"Even without your brother and Fiona?" Cas asked, surprised by the response. From what he had always seen of the Winchesters, family was more important than anything else. "Especially without them," Dean says after a second, even though he felt it was something of a betrayal to say it out loud. "I mean I love my brother, I do. But the past couple years I spent so much time worrying about the son of a bitch... I mean I've had more fun with you in the past twenty four hours than I've had with Sam in ages. And you're not that much fun," he added, with a dry smile.

"And Fiona?" Cas queried, his curiosity piqued.

"Sometimes I think Fi and I are more like siblings than Sam and I could ever be," Dean said, thoughtfully. "I know she's older, but for a long time, I always acted like her big brother, too. And until lately, she was the only one who I knew would have my back no matter what." Thinking of the past weeks, he added, "But not having to worry about Fi… I know she's trying to prove herself because of the damn wheelchair, but… But she really shouldn't be in this right now. It's too dangerous for her and I can't be watching her back and Sammy's all the time."

Dean was quite for a minute or two before he finally went on. "It's funny, you know. I've been so chained to my family all these years. But now that I'm alone…hell, I'm happy."

When the angel winged off, Dean finished off his lunch and headed back to the Impala, ready to get out of there.

* * *

><p>Sam couldn't sleep.<p>

He wished he could, and even though he tried everything he could, sleep wouldn't come. It was as if something or someone was purposely keeping him awake.

"Hello, Sam." Castiel's appearance had been all but silent and he studied Sam intently. "We need to talk."

"About what?" Sam replied, keeping his voice down so he didn't wake Jo or Fiona who were sharing one of the two queen sized beds.

"You need to know, Sam. The whole truth," Cas replied, winging himself and Sam to a field far away from the motel.

"The truth about what?" Sam asked, still confused.

"You are Lucifer's true vessel," Castiel said, succinctly.

"No," Sam said, quickly, not wanting to believe it. "No, that can't be—" Trying not to breakdown, he shook his head. "No, that's not possible."

Castiel looked sincerely regretful as he said, "I wish I could tell you otherwise."

"There has to be another way!" Sam said, quickly, trying not to think about the fact that he was the devil's chosen meat suit.

"There's only one other alternative," Castiel went on. "Fiona gave you her blood to save your life. It would be far from ideal, but—"

"'But' what?" Sam snapped, not believing what he was hearing. "So my choices are either say 'yes' to Lucifer or let Fiona do it? Why are you telling me this?"

Castiel sighed and waited until Sam calmed down slightly before explaining. "Fiona was never meant to survive. Lilith killed her mother. She meant to kill Fiona as well, but somehow Fiona survived. She _is_ a chosen vessel, Sam. Whether it's for Lucifer or… or for you."

By now Sam was completely out of his element and he wished the angel would start making sense.

"Fiona is meant to save your soul, Sam," Cas concluded. "How she will do it is uncertain."

Before Sam could say anything else, he found himself back in the hotel room and just as sleepless as before.


	15. Semper Fi

Chapter 15

_Semper Fi_

* * *

><p>To a normal human being it was a normal piece of paper on an official United States Marine Corps letterhead and nothing at all to be feared.<p>

To former Gunnery Sergeant Fiona Brendon, it was something she dreaded each and every year, now more than ever.

'It' was the annual invitation to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball.

Stopping in DC had seemed like a good idea at first, but now Fiona was wishing she could be anywhere else.

Two weeks ago, Dean had called Fiona who was staying with Sam at a motel in Ohio. The three of them had talked for a long time and when Dean arrived, they talked even more.

Sam knew that they needed to stick together. As a unit, they were stronger and even though Sam was still afraid he'd go back to the demon blood, he knew that it was something he couldn't battle on his own.

Dean didn't say exactly why he wanted the three of them back together, but both Sam and Fiona could tell that something had rattled him.

xxx

The invitation had arrived on a cool fall morning and Fiona had acted like it was a letter bomb.

Dean didn't quiet understand what the fuss was about but Sam could tell that that Fi was bothered by the notion of going.

"Sounds like it'd be fun," Dean said as he handed Fiona a cup of coffee before sitting down at the kitchen table.

"It's not like I've never gone before," Fiona replied, staring at the invitation. "I just… don't want to go this year."

Dean frowned at that, not sure what made this year so special. But deciding to put off that question for later, he said, "Look, it's one night. Sam and I will even go with you."

Fi's eyebrows rose and she fixed Dean with a dubious look. "You? You would wear a tux and go with me to spend a night with a crowd of Marines?"

Dean didn't want to say that it was the least he could do, but he was sure it showed in his eyes.

Before rejoining up with Fi and Sam, Dean had had an unexpected visit from Zachariah who had flung the hunter 5 years into the future. It hadn't been pretty—Bobby was almost vicious after loosing Ellen in 2012, Fiona was dead, Chuck hoarded toilet paper, Cas was practically human and a stoner, and Dean hardly recognized Jo who had become a cold-hearted killer of all things supernatural.

And then there had been Sam.

Dean's blood still ran cold when he thought of his brother, who had become Lucifer's chosen vessel, talking about killing Fiona when she refused to join him.

Separated, everyone Dean cared about had been systematically destroyed. That was enough to prove to him that unity was the only true way to win against the Devil.

But before Dean could say anything to Fiona, he stopped when someone knocked on the front door.

X

Tony DiNozzo didn't want to be here, standing outside the townhouse that had belonged to Fiona Brendon and was now Ziva's home. Looking around outside, Tony admired the work Gibbs had done on the wheelchair ramp and the new front porch and swing.

As soon as Gibbs had heard about his goddaughter's situation, he and Ziva had worked together to make sure that Fiona would be as comfortable as possible when she was there.

Bringing himself back to the present, Tony reminded himself why he was there and reluctantly knocked on the door a second time. When the door opened, he saw Dean Winchester who looked a bit surprised to see the federal agent standing there. "Can I help you, Agent DiNozzo?"

"God, I hope so," Tony replied, his tone making it clear that he didn't want to be there. Pushing his pride and ego way, way, _way_ down, he said, "I need your help."

Dean was surprised that the NCIS agent was asking for help, but he shrugged and stepped aside to let the other man pass. "So what do you need _our_ help on?" Dean wanted to know as he led Tony to the kitchen.

Tony handed over a file and Fiona flipped through it as Sam came in from the backyard. "Two murders and one guy in the hospital. All three victims were…"

"Were what?" Dean asked with a smirk realizing that whatever the case was, it obviously involved something out of the ordinary.

Sam, who had started looking through the file, gave an astonished laugh as he read, "A high school English teacher was mauled by what the police believe to be a grizzly bear. A Navy Lieutenant Commander was found in the woods after being lost for more than a week. And a Marine Corps corporal was killed when a piano fell on him."

Dean looked doubtful at that last one and said, "A piano?"

Sam found the report and read aloud, "Corporal Garrett Martin was crushed by a piano when movers accidentally dropped the ropes they'd been using to haul it."

"And that's just the incidents themselves," Tony said, wearily. "Witness statements aren't adding up and the evidence is telling us next to nothing."

"What kind of evidence?" Fiona asked, curiously.

xxxxxxxx

"The only thing all three victims had in common," Abby said to Fiona, Sam, and Dean as they looked at the pile of evidence bags scattered on the table in the middle of the lab. "—are these." Abby held up a few bags containing—"Candy wrappers. Like… a ton of them. Found at each crime scene."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look before saying in unison, "The Trickster."

"Trickster?" Abby repeated, puzzled. But after a moment, her eyes widened as she said, "You mean like Loki?"

"Pretty much," Dean confirmed. "So tell us about the victims."

Abby pulled up background on all three victims, focusing on the guy still living first. "Lieutenant Commander Mark Harmon," she said, bringing up the man's stats. "He went on a solo hiking trip and was missing for a week before a local Girl Scout troop found him wandering aimlessly. According to McGee, Commander Harmon sometimes punished Marine privates by dropping them off in the woods without _any_ supplies."

"Fits the profile," Sam said, looking at Dean before turning back to Abby. "What about the other two guys?"

Abby did some quick work on the computer and replied, "Corporal Garrett Martin received multiple noise complaints over his piano playing at all hours of the night when he was on leave. And our English teacher is a retired Marine Sergeant who used to hunt bears in Shenandoah Park."

"Okay, so, a Trickster," Fiona said, looking at the three victims. "Great. What now?"

"Now we gank the mother," Dean said with surprising enthusiasm. "Fi, you and Abby see if you can nail down anyone else who fits the profile." But before he and Sam headed for the door, Fiona's voice made him stop and turn.

"No," Fiona said, flatly. Looking at the Winchesters, she said, "Either we're all in this together or we're not."

"Look, if we know who the Trickster is likely to be after, we can find him faster," Dean argued, pushing Sam out the door before Fiona could say anything.

Abby looked at Fiona and after a moment, gave her a hug.

Hugging the forensic scientist back, Fiona gave her a smile. "Thanks, Abby," she said, wishing she could go back and undo everything that happened before.

* * *

><p>Sam had been puzzled when he and Dean had left Fiona back at NCIS but when Dean drove to a formalwear shop in Anacostia, he was even more confused. "Dean, what the hell are we doing here?"<p>

Dean parked and turned the engine off before he started to speak. "Honestly, Sammy? I don't care about the damn Trickster."

"Who are you and what have you done with Dean?" Sam asked, not sure what to make of his brother's statement.

But Dean pulled out the invitation to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball and gave Sam a look. "Why the hell do you think Fi doesn't want to go?"

"Cause then she'd have to explain why she left the Corps?" Sam replied, not sure where the conversation was going.

Dean sighed and took a breath, trying to be patient with his younger brother. "Or because she'd have to explain why she can't walk," he said with a knowing look. When Sam sighed as well, Dean rubbed his face with one hand. "Look, Sammy, I…"

"We're dealing with it, Dean," Sam said with a shrug, knowing how much his older brother hated 'chick-flick-moments'. "You and I are doing the best we can. We're helping Fi best we can… What else can we do?"

"Yeah," Dean muttered, nodding. Building his resolve, he got out of the car, noticing that Sam was following suit.

"So what _are_ we doing here, Dean?" Sam asked again, as the two headed into the shop.

"We're going to make total fools out of ourselves for a girl, Sammy," Dean replied, browsing the racks of evening dresses.

* * *

><p>In the lounge at NCIS, Ducky sat opposite Fiona as she sipped a cup of coffee and he sipped a cup of tea. "How are you faring, my dear?"<p>

"I don't know," Fiona admitted as she played with her cup. "Some days are better than others."

"Well, naturally," Ducky replied with an understanding nod. "But I would think that being with the Winchesters would help some."

Fiona didn't really feel like talking about it but she also felt she needed to get it off her chest so she said, "Dean's been keeping me out of the more dangerous hunts. And I understand why. I do. But I'm not useless, Ducky."

"I'd hardly think that you were," Ducky assured her. He'd known Fiona for years—nearly as long as he'd known Gibbs—and he always thought of her as one of the most amazing women he'd ever known. "You've never been one to run from danger. You have an unfailing kindness, yet you're also strong-willed and determined."

"Thanks," Fi replied, wishing she felt a bit better. Leaning back in the wheelchair, she sighed. "As a hunter, you accept that you're gonna get hurt. Sometimes it's even something requiring a hospital. But no one accepts or expects something permanent."

Ducky could certainly understand that, but he countered, "What about your fellow Marines?" Seeing Fi's look, he said, "You are not the first wounded warrior, Ms. Brendon. And you know quite well that some warriors are able to return to battle after being injured."

"It's not like missing a leg," Fiona argued. But she knew what Ducky was talking about. Hearing someone behind her, she turned to see Sam and Dean coming up and—just like when the two brothers first walked back into her life—Dean held a large package. "What's this?" she asked, taking the box with a wary look. It didn't seem to be very heavy so she doubted that it was weaponry. Opening it, she was stunned to find an elegant evening dress in navy blue with red trim. It had spaghetti straps—also red—and looked somewhat similar to her Marine dress uniform.

"Sam and I rented a couple of tuxes," Dean said, and even as he saw the argument on Fiona's face, he held up a hand to halt her protests. "The three of us are going because I've already asked Ziva David to be my date."

Fiona fingered the dress, thoughtfully. She wanted to refuse, but looking at Sam and Dean, she couldn't find it in her heart to say 'no'.

* * *

><p>The guests were just starting to arrive at the Greenbrier Hotel when a '67 Chevy Impala rumbled up to the front.<p>

Dean got out and went to the backseat to offer his hand to Ziva who looked beyond stunning in a slinky black dress, her hair done up and her feet in stiletto heels.

Sam helped Fiona out of the car and into her wheelchair, following his girlfriend as she led the way into the hotel, Ziva and Dean behind them, arm in arm.

Fiona didn't feel as nervous as before, but she still looked around with trepidation. There were already one or two people she knew and they were looking at her with questioning looks.

"Hey, you made it."

Sam, Dean, Fiona, and Ziva turned to see a man standing behind them and judging by the looks Sam and Dean were giving him, Fi deduced that this was the Trickster they had been looking for.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," the Trickster said with a smile as he glanced around at the Marines and guests filling the ballroom. "Besides… Little crowded in here, wouldn't you say?"

"What do you want?" Dean snapped, taking care to keep his voice down.

But the Trickster smiled at Fiona as he said, "Just need to borrow Fiver here for a moment."

Fiona stiffened at the use of the nickname but she looked at the others before saying quietly, "I'm not back in half an hour… tell everyone he's a terrorist."

In a quiet alcove, the archangel/Trickster looked at Fiona and said, "So… ready to face the world again?"

"You've got 5 minutes to tell me what the hell you're doing here before I break a table leg and stab you with it," Fiona warned, crossing her arms which enhanced her bust.

"You know," the Trickster said, giving Fi a sly look. "Not many women can look sexy while in a wheelchair, but you…"

"4 minutes, 32 seconds," Fi said, coolly, checking her watch.

"You know, believe it or not," he said, taking a step back. "—smiting people gets dull after a while. So, yeah… I killed those two guys as a way to lure you out, Fiona. You know why?"

"Why?" Fiona asked, not sure where this was going.

But the Trickster was still smiling as he said, "Because folks like you aren't in it for the money, or the glory. You're out there trying to make the world a better place. You belong here tonight, Fiona. You, the Winchesters… And I don't know about you, but the gal that Dean brought?" He let out a wolf-whistle.

Fiona shifted in the wheelchair and adjusted her dress. "So what do you want? And don't think that I don't recognize you from the hospital."

"You really want to know?" Fiona nodded and the Trickster bent down and whispered in her ear. "How about a chance for you and Sam to get it on again? I know for a fact that you two have been sex-free ever since you were stabbed."

"That's the whole reasoning behind this?" Fiona asked, doubtfully. "So Sam and I can get back in the saddle again?"

"No," the Trickster replied, pointing at the entrance to the ballroom. "_That_ is the reason behind this."

Fiona turned and saw two of the Marines she'd commanded and their families. Looking back at the Trickster, she started when she saw that he was gone. After a moment, she took a deep breath and wheeled over to the two Marines.

x

Sam couldn't help smiling as he watched Fi join her fellow Marines. He could see that she was nervous as she answered the questions asked and when one of the ladies looked over at him with an appraising look, he felt his cheeks redden as he gave a wave of greeting.

"You okay, Sammy?" Dean asked, seeming to take amusement at his little brother being embarrassed by ogling women.

"Let's, uh… let's go grab our table," Sam muttered, as he led his brother and Ziva to a table where—to their surprise—Gibbs was already seated with a glass of bourbon in front of him.

Sitting down, Dean flagged down one of the waiters and ordered a round of drinks. When the drinks arrived, Dean looked at his companions before raising his glass of scotch and saying, "To Dad and James Brendon."

Sam hesitated a moment before raising his own drink and adding, "To Mom and Jess."

Ziva seemed reluctant to make her own toast, but finally she said, "To my sister, Tali… and to Special Agent Caitlin Todd and Director Jenny Sheppard."

Gibbs went last and there was a deep-set sadness in his eyes as he said, "To Shannon and Kelly."

They all clinked glasses and took a drink, each drifting in their own memories of loved ones and friends lost.

Realizing that the mood needed lifting, Dean raised his glass for a second toast and said, "To the Impala." Catching the astonished and quizzical looks from the others, he went on. "She may not seem like much, but she's home."

Sam laughed softly at that and after thinking for a while, finally said, "To… a well-stocked arsenal. The best defense against anything."

"To a well-sharpened blade," Ziva added with a smile. "Because knives never run out of bullets."

"Hear, hear!" Dean said, laughing.

When it came to Gibbs, the older man smiled and said, "To a half-finished boat in the basement, a full bottle of bourbon, and a clean, empty jar."

xxxx

When Fiona joined the table more than half an hour later, she found Gibbs, Ziva, Sam, and Dean still toasting and drinking.

"To Fiona!" Sam said, brightly—he wasn't exactly drunk, but he was obviously getting close. "The most amazing woman I've ever met!"

"To Fiver!" Dean agreed, joining in.

"To the woman who convinced me that becoming a hunter was _not_ a wise career move," Ziva chimed in.

"To my favorite goddaughter," Gibbs just said with a warm smile.

Getting her own drink, Fiona smiled as she drank with the others. After looking at the other Marines coming in, she looked at the others and raised her glass. "To family by blood, family by love, and family by friendship."

"To family," Ziva toasted, raising her glass as well.

"To family," Dean and Sam said in unison, although both of them were wishing Bobby and Ellen were there for this particular toast.

"To family," Gibbs said before they all clinked glasses. "Semper Fi."

"Semper Fi," the table said in unison, toasting one more time before each of them drained their glasses.

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter—Pagan gods, (Yes, I used the plural) bedroom trysts, and more of the NCIS team.


	16. Fallen Idols

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I have decided that the person who discovers the cure for the common cold should be instantly declared a Saint.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter 16

* * *

><p><em>Fallen Idols<em>

* * *

><p>The Thursday after the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, Tony DiNozzo again found himself at the townhouse of Fiona Brendon. But as opposed to before when he wished he could have asked anyone else for help, this time he was looking forward to getting Dean Winchester's help on his current case.<p>

Finding Dean in the garage, Tony knocked on the doorframe, waiting until the hunter looked up from the engine before speaking. "So an interesting case landed on my desk and I thought you might be able to help me out with it."

"Yeah?" Dean asked, straightening up before wiping his hands on a towel nearby. "Why's that?"

Tony beamed as he handed the file over, waiting patiently as Dean read.

Dean looked up at the NCIS agent, looking like a kid at Christmas. "Serious?"

"Dead serious," Tony replied, still grinning. "How soon can you be ready?"

"Give me 15 minutes," Dean said, putting the hood of the Impala down and heading into the townhouse to grab a quick shower and a change of clothes.

xxxxx

40 minutes later, Dean and Tony were in a pole barn looking at a silver Porsche like it was the last remaining PlayBoy Bunny on the face of the earth.

"Damn," Dean said, walking around the car, almost afraid to touch it.

"Probie and Ziva are talking to the witness," Tony reported, his attention only on the car in front of him. "Gibbs is double-checking the VIN number, but…"

"Yeah, but anyone can change a VIN number," Dean said, suddenly looking a bit doubtful. "We gotta match the engine number." Looking at Tony, he asked, "So what did the others say when you gave them the history on the car?"

Tony gave Dean a 'you're not going to believe this one' look as he said, "Probie wanted to know why someone would spend half their life looking for a car."

"I don't know, man…" Dean laughed as he looked at Little Bastard. "You sure McGee's that smart?"

"Yeah, well," Tony went on. "Ziva asked who in their right mind names a car 'Little Bastard'."

In Ziva's defense, Dean shrugged. "Chicks don't always get cars, you know?"

Tony turned his attention to Dean, frowning. "Something you want to say?"

"No, man," Dean insisted, looking around for something to jack the car up on.

"Are you sleeping with Ziva?" Tony asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Is it any of your business if I am?" Dean asked, defensively.

Tony considered that for a moment and finally said, "Ziva's been through a lot. And she hasn't had a lot of luck with guys. They usually end up dead."

Dean wasn't sure if the comment was meant as a threat. Looking at the car again, he said, "Rock, paper scissors for who goes under the car?"

Tony gave a look of surprise at that. "What?"

Dean shrugged. "It's how Sam and I settle who does the dirty work on a case."

"Alright," Tony agreed. "On three," he said, holding up a fist.

Dean did likewise and on three, he grinned when Tony went with paper instead of rock or scissors.

"Best two out of three," Tony argued.

"Hey, you're the fed," Dean argued. "I'm just a civilian."

"You're the expert on the supernatural," Tony countered. But Dean wasn't budging and once Tony was scooting underneath the Porsche, he paused. "If this falls on me, make sure my last words are something cool," he instructed.

* * *

><p>While Tony and Dean worked the case, Sam and Fiona were in the downstairs bedroom of Fi's townhouse enjoying the late morning. As Fiona lay next to her boyfriend, she thought about the previous night.<p>

The sex had been awkward, to say the least.

At first, anyway.

Fiona usually liked being on top because when Sam was on top of her, she felt like she was being crushed.

At first, after a while, Sam had suggested they were trying too hard, but Fiona—never one to give up—had suggested one more try.

It had turned into one of the most wonderful nights of Fiona's life. Suddenly, everything seemed to work the way it was supposed to and both Sam and Fi were left breathless and very satisfied.

Fiona swore to send that damn Trickster a gift basket.

Sam pulled Fiona closer as soon as he woke up but before he could even kiss her, the bedroom door opened and both hunters scrambled to cover themselves as Dean opened the door.

"Dude!" Sam said, giving his brother the mother of all glares. "Whatever happened to knocking?"

"Sorry, Sammy," Dean said, even though his voice and expression showed no remorse at all. Rather, there was a wide smile on his face. "Agent DiNozzo just found us a case. Thought you might want in on it." Noticing the slight tenting of the sheets just below Sam's waist, Dean smirked as he asked, "Need a minute there, Sammy?"

"Get out of here, Dean!" Sam shouted, throwing a pillow at Dean who caught it before throwing it back.

When the door closed, Fiona pressed her face against Sam's bare chest, her cheeks red with embarrassment. After a few moments, she looked at Sam. "I'm going to get dressed."

"Need any help?" Sam asked, propping himself up by one elbow.

"If you don't mind grabbing my bra and panties you threw across the room last night," Fiona replied, with a smile.

When the two were finally dressed, they grabbed their usual guns and headed back out to the Impala before Sam drove to NCIS Headquarters where they found visitors' passes waiting for them at security.

Heading up to the main squad room, Fiona and Sam couldn't help exchanging looks.

Dean glanced at both of them but he didn't say anything, even though he wished that the two would knock it off. But on the other hand, he was happy to see that some of the tension that had been present between Sam and Fi had lessoned.

As the trio exited the elevator, Dean put his trademark grin into place when he saw Ziva look his way and was delighted when Ziva gave him a return smile.

"Winchester!" Gibbs barked as he entered the squad room, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.

"Yes, sir?" Sam and Dean replied in unison.

Gibbs somehow managed to hide his smile and quick checked his computer incase Abby had emailed him an update on the present case. "VIN number matched the one for James Dean's car," Gibbs said, straightening up.

"But the engine number didn't," Tony countered, looking distinctly disappointed. "Car's a fake."

"Blunt force trauma wasn't a fake," Gibbs said, sipping his coffee. "Ducky says the victim's injuries were consistent with an 80-mile-per-hour crash."

"I thought the car was parked when the Navy Lieutenant was killed?" Sam questioned.

"It was," McGee confirmed. "But somehow—" He was cut off when his phone rang and when he picked it up, he was surprised to hear Ducky's voice.

"McGee," Ducky said, briskly. "Could you send Jethro down here? I've got something he should see."

"You got it, Ducky," McGee replied before hanging up the phone. "Boss, Ducky wants you down in Autopsy."

Gibbs nodded once and pointed to Sam. "You—with me."

"So what do you want me to do?" Dean asked, feeling a awkward.

"You and Ziva track down how Lieutenant Fuller found that car," Gibbs ordered, heading for the elevator, Sam following him.

"You two need a chaperone?" Tony asked, noticing the looks going on between the two.

"Mind your own business, Tony," Ziva replied coolly as Dean joined her at her desk.

x

Down in Autopsy, Sam frowned as Ducky pulled two seeds from Kurt Fuller's stomach and dropped them into evidence jars. "What the hell are those?" Sam asked, pulling on gloves and picking up one of the jars.

"Some sort of seedpod would be my guess," Ducky replied with a shrug. "Though they are not anything I have ever seen before."

"Something you recognize?" Gibbs asked, watching the young hunter studying the seeds.

"No," Sam said, shaking his head.

x

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered, pulling up what he could find on Kurt Fuller.

"What's wrong?" Ziva asked, frowning slightly.

"Lieutenant Fuller was involved in a car accident when he was in college," Dean replied, frowning. "His girlfriend was killed and her parents blamed Fuller for the girl's death."

"What does this have to do with the car Fuller was killed in?" Ziva asked, confused.

Dean leaned back in his chair and explained. "Getting killed in a car crash sounds like just desserts for someone who supposedly killed their girlfriend in a car accident, wouldn't you say?"

Ziva caught on and she didn't like where this was heading. "The Trickster is behind this, then? Yes?"

"Sure looks that way," Dean muttered. Getting up from his chair, he headed for the elevator, and hid his smile when he noticed Ziva following him. As they stepped inside and headed down to Autopsy and Ducky's lab, Dean didn't bother hiding his smile when Ziva stopped the elevator between floors. "We haven't done it at NCIS yet."

"What's bothering you?" Ziva asked, studying Dean.

"Something just doesn't feel right," Dean replied, quickly. He went to flip the switch to get the elevator started again, but was stopped by Ziva. Sticking to the case, he said, "It's all a little _too_ perfect," he said, explaining the feeling in his gut.

"You sound like Gibbs," Ziva observed, stepping closer to Dean.

"Is that a bad thing?" Dean asked, smiling as he saw the hungry look in Ziva's eyes.

"As long as you don't head-slap me," Ziva replied, pulling Dean in for a long kiss.

* * *

><p><em>19 Years Ago<em>

_John Winchester slowly hung up the phone in his motel room, looking at his sons—Dean and little Sammy. The door to the motel room opened and one of John's best friends came in, a very pretty 16-year-old girl behind him._

"_Jeez, John," James Brendon said, noticing the look on the other hunter's face. "Who ran over your dog?"_

_John looked at Dean and Fiona before pulling out his wallet and withdrawing the last few bills he had. Handing the money to Dean, he said, "Hey, buddy. Why don't you, Sammy and Fi go get a couple of pizzas for dinner?"_

"_Sure, Dad," Dean replied, nodding. As he took the money his father handed him, he wondered what was going on._

_Once the kids were out of the room, James frowned as John sank down onto one of the beds. "John, what is it?"_

"_Shannon and Kelly Gibbs are dead," John replied, sadly._

"_What?" James said, shocked. "What happened?"_

_John shook his head as he stood and paced the room. "Car accident. NIS is doing a full investigation. Apparently Shannon was a witness in a drug killing and… Jethro is a mess."_

_James ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed before starting to pack up his things. "Soon as the kids get back we'll head to Bobby Singer's place."_

_John didn't even argue as he started packing his things up as well._

_The drive to South Dakota was long and Sam and Dean seemed surprised that their father was silent for almost the whole trip._

_Behind the Chevy Impala, in an old Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, Fiona looked at her father who was almost as quiet as John Winchester. _

"_Dad, please tell me what's going on," Fiona begged, not liking how dour the mood was._

_For a moment, James was quiet, but finally he said, "Fiona, I know… I know how much you liked Shannon Gibbs. And I know how close you and Kelly were."_

"_Dad, you're scaring me," Fiona said, fixing her father with a look. But the longer her father was quiet, the more the pit in her stomach grew. She didn't want to believe it but she also knew that her dad wouldn't be telling her this if it wasn't the truth. Reading into what wasn't being said, she finally said, "They're dead, aren't they?"_

"_I'm so sorry, baby," James said, looking over at his daughter. _

"_What about Gibbs?" Fiona wondered, thinking about her godfather._

"_That's why John and I are taking you kids to stay with Bobby for a while," James explained. After a while, he added, "Fiona… we may be gone for a while."_

"_I understand, Dad," Fiona assured him as she put a hand on her father's arm. "Tell Gibbs we're thinking of him."_

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

At NCIS, Gibbs could tell that something was bothering Fiona and he was sure it had nothing to do with the current case. Fi had been doing background on the victim but she seemed to be at the task only halfheartedly.

"Fiona? Got a minute?" he said, looking at his goddaughter.

Fiona nodded and followed Gibbs to the conference room and waited until he closed the door behind her before asking, "Something wrong?"

Sitting down so he was level with Fi, Gibbs said, "You tell me."

"It's nothing," Fiona insisted, making her face impassive. "I'm fine, really."

Gibbs knew better, but he said nothing. Looking up when the conference room door opened, he saw McGee standing in the doorway. "What, McGee?"

"We've got another victim, boss," McGee reported, succinctly. "And Sam and Abby have something."

"Okay, we'll be right there," Gibbs said, before giving Fiona a look that said that they weren't done talking.

In the squad room, there was a picture of a woman in her 30's on the plasma screen.

"Katie Cassidy," Tony reported. "She's a civilian, but the MO matches Captain Fuller's." Bringing up the crime scene photos, he went on. "Metro PD found her stuffed in a dryer in a local laundromat." Bringing up the stats on the vic, he added, "Her great-grandfather built the largest laundromat chain in the country. According to a speech she gave at the latest location opening—"G-Pop was my idol"."

"So we've got two victims that have been killed by someone or something they idolized in manners that could be considered ironic," Fiona said, thoughtfully. "Sounds like the Trickster to me."

"Except Tricksters don't leave seeds in their victims' bellies," Sam said when Fiona, Tony, McGee and Gibbs gathered in Abby's lab.

"So what's with the seeds?" Tony asked, looking at one of the evidence jars.

"They're a trademark of a forest god named Leshi," Abby explained.

"Pagan gods teaming up," Tony said, a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. "Wonderful."

"Good news," Abby said, helpfully. "We can kill Leshi by chopping his head off with an iron ax."

"Remember when we used to just catch bad guys, sweat 'em in interrogation and bust them?" Tony mused out loud. "I miss those days."

McGee nodded, but stopped when he looked at the others. "Guys? Where's Ziva and Dean?"

* * *

><p>"You know," Leshi said as he walked through Shenandoah State Park with Loki. "We make one hell of a team."<p>

Loki shrugged at that as he looked around the park. As he passed a 6-year-old girl crying over her dropped ice cream cone, he snapped his fingers, restoring the girl's frozen treat. "Yeah, but don't you ever get tired of it all I mean the world's gonna end. Wouldn't you rather do something good with your existence?"

"This is about that hunter, isn't it?" Leshi said with a grin. As the two gods continued their walk, he mused, "Fiona Brendon. Never thought you'd be interested in a paralyzed mortal." He stopped and looked at his companion, puzzled. "What exactly do you see in her?"

Loki shrugged. "You know, most humans are flawed creatures. When walls are put in their paths, they try to find ways around them. Fiona knows she may never be able to climb her walls, but she does it anyway. Going around is easier, but she won't do it. You have to admire that kind of stubbornness."

Leshi looked around at the humans milling about the park, finally looking at Loki with an expression of amazement. "One of these days, Loki, you have to tell me about this thing you have for humans."

"One of these days," Loki replied with a smirk, thinking that most likely the Winchesters would kill the forest god before that day ever arrived.

* * *

><p>When Ziva finally turned up again, Gibbs pulled her aside and waited a moment before speaking—giving his agent a chance to start the conversation.<p>

Ziva remained silent, but her eyes were filled with expectation and defiance.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do here, Ziva," Gibbs assured her. "I don't care who he is. I just care that he's going to be the man that you deserve. That he's someone who genuinely makes you happy."

"It's Dean Winchester," Ziva stated, studying Gibbs for a reaction.

"I'm happy for you, Ziva," Gibbs replied with a smile. Noticing that Ziva seemed a bit surprised, he said, "John Winchester was Kelly's godfather."

"So you are Fiona's godfather," Ziva recited, interested. "And John Winchester was Kelly's? What about James Brendon?"

"Sam and Dean's godfather," Gibbs replied, simply.

Ziva nodded, thoughtfully. "You do not have to worry about me, Gibbs. I can take care of myself."

But this was something Gibbs already knew. "I know," he assured her.

But before Ziva could ask what all this had been about, she understood. Gibbs was reassuring her that—like always—he had her back and if Dean turned out to be a dick, he would regret it. She also smiled inside as she realized that Dean would also find himself having a heart-to-heart with Gibbs.

* * *

><p>Finding the forest god, Leshi, had proved to be difficult, and trying to find the Trickster was an even more daunting task.<p>

So while Sam headed over to Gibbs' house late that night to fill him in on the search, Dean and Ziva decided to release their pent-up emotions, taking advantage of the fact that Fiona was still at NCIS.

Sam found the NCIS special agent in the basement of his house, working on a large partially finished boat.

"No luck finding our two pagan gods," Sam reported as he came down the stairs.

"So you and Fiona…" Gibbs said without looking up. "It's serious between you two?"

"Uh…yeah," Sam said, a bit confused by the change in conversation. "I mean it's been hard lately, but we're sticking it out."

"How touching," said Fiona—or rather something that _looked like_ Fiona, since she, or likely it, was standing.

"What the hell are you?" Sam demanded, pulling his gun and aiming a shot.

"I'm hurt," the fake Fiona pouted. "And you've been looking so hard for me, too."

"You're Leshi?" Gibbs asked, casually.

"Guilty," Leshi said with a smile at Sam. "I have to say, I am very surprised at your choice for ultimate hero. I mean, it would just _kill_ Dean if he knew the real reason, too." Walking around Sam, she added, "The fact that Fiona lasted so much longer away from the hunting business than you. And Fi has saved people without anyone having to bail her out. And the way she stood up to Ruby… It's just so impressive." Throwing Sam across the room, Leshi went on.

"Let's face it, Sammy… You're just sad."

"Maybe," Sam admitted, trying not to let his thoughts be transparent. "But I'm still smarter than you."

Leshi seemed surprised by that and narrowed her eyes at the young hunter. "Oh, is that so? And how are you going to st—"

But the god's words were cut off as Gibbs swung the old, rusted ax, slicing the forest deity's head off. Without saying a word, he looked at Sam, giving the younger man a nod.

Sam returned the look and just said, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Gibbs replied before fetching two empty glasses and a bottle of bourbon.

* * *

><p>"So how're things with Sam?" Loki asked as he popped in on Fiona who was sitting out on the porch with a well-worn copy of 'Watership Down'.<p>

"We're having sex again, if that's what you mean," Fiona retorted, closing the book and tossing it onto the porch swing.

Loki sat down on the swing and after a moment, said, "Let me be forward here—I can't stop thinking about you. And I know that you're a hunter and killing me is high on your list, but we could have some fun first."

Fiona considered the Trickster for a moment before asking, "So… what? This is your way of confessing that you have a crush on me or something?"

"Guilty," Loki replied with a devilish grin and a shrug. "So what do you say?"

Fiona was quiet for a while before she finally asked, "Can you give me my legs back?"

Loki's smile faded, and he gave Fi a regretful look. "Not in my bag of tricks, I'm afraid." But the smile returned as an idea popped into his head. "At least… not in _this_ universe."

Straightening up a bit, Fiona's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

But the Trickster said nothing. Instead, he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

* * *

><p>AN: For the next chapter which will be covering 'Changing Channels' I reccommend familiarizing yourselves with the following shows-'Watership Down', 'Royal Pains', 'Burn Notice' and 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'.


	17. Changing Channels

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So there's quite a bit of skipping around, thanks to our favorite Trickster who also gives Fiona something of a break.

To help keep the TV jumping straight, each show will be labeled in **bold**.

Question: With as much as I'm weaving NCIS into this, should I reclassify the story as a crossover?

Chapter 17

* * *

><p><em>Changing Channels<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>When you're a hunter, you get comfortable with things that are hard to explain. The idea of something being unbelievable goes out the window and it gets harder and harder for you to be surprised. <em>

"_But every now and then, something happens to make you say 'What the fuck is going on?'"_

* * *

><p><strong>Watership Down<strong>

Fiona awoke to find herself lying in a patch of soft grass, a soft breeze ruffling her fur. She slowly got up, scratching one ear with her back foot. As if suddenly realizing something was amiss, she stopped, looking at herself.

"Oh, my God," Fi said in disbelief. "Oh, crap…" She reached up a paw and felt one long ear. Running for a nearby pond, she looked at her reflection, still not believing what she was seeing.

"Fi!"

Looking up, Fiona saw two other rabbits running towards her. It took her a moment to recognize that it was Sam and Dean.

Sam was long and lean in his new form and his fur was sort of a caramel color and maybe a touch longer than the normal rabbit.

In contrast, Dean was shorter and stockier, with shorter ears. His fur was a darker brown and he had an odd tuft of fur on the top of his head. Even more strange was the fact that he still wore the amulet around his neck. "What the hell is going on?" Dean asked, looking from Fiona to his brother.

"Good question," Fiona asked. But after a moment, she grinned and suddenly took off, running as fast as she could, not even aware that Sam and Dean were on her tracks. When she finally stopped, she was breathless, but happy.

"What was that about?" Sam asked, looking confused.

Fiona shook her head. The boys could never understand, but she just said, "It felt good to run again."

Dean caught on and nodded. After being in a wheelchair in her normal human form, he could understand that Fiona might like to be able to move about without any restrictions. But to his dismay, Dean saw Fi and Sam looking at each other and before he could stop them, Sam batted Fiona's left ear with one paw and the two took off for a clump of nearby bushes.

Deciding to look around a bit and keep his mind off what his brother and best friend were up to, Dean hopped over to a patch of clover and took a hesitant nibble. While ordinarily greens weren't a big part of his diet as a human, as a rabbit, the stuff tasted pretty darn good, especially the purple blossoms.

"Hello, Dean."

Dean jumped and spun around, instantly on alert. He stopped, going up on his hind legs as he stared at the rabbit in front of him.

Her fur was a reddish brown and she had the most dazzling blue eyes he'd ever seen.

"Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to say 'hello'?" The strange rabbit said with a smile.

Dean could tell he should know her from somewhere, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall from where. "Do I know you?" he asked, hoping his new companion could jog his memory.

The rabbit just gazed at him, her blue eyes twinkling. "Yes, you know me, Bigwig."

It was her eyes that gave her away.

Dean couldn't even believe it. He dropped to all fours and gaped at Kelly Gibbs. She was so beautiful he couldn't even believe it. "What are you…? Aren't… Aren't you dead?"

Kelly laughed as she reached up a paw and gently batted Dean's right ear, grinning as he took a step back, touching the ear with one paw. "I am. But a friend of yours wanted me to see you for a little bit."

"Who?" Dean wanted to know, his mind immediately going to Castiel.

"Someone you may not have gotten along with in the past," Kelly replied, cryptically. "But Dean?"

"What?" Dean asked, not sure what to make of Kelly's presence.

"What you have with Ziva?" Kelly said, giving her old friend a look. "It's real. Don't fight it and don't push her away. You'll need her someday."

Dean didn't say anything as he watched Kelly head off into the brush.

* * *

><p><strong>Burn Notice<strong>

Dean almost felt like he'd suddenly jumped out of a moving car as he suddenly found himself not only human again, but also standing on a busy street corner in what looked like Miami, Florida.

Next to him, Sam stood, looking a bit confused as he also found himself human again.

Even more surprising was the fact that Fiona was standing next to Sam. "Okay—what is going on here?"

"Call it a little vacation from your present troubles," the Trickster said with a smile.

"Why?" Sam asked, confused. After everything the Trickster had put them through, why was he now doing them a favor?

But Loki just smiled as he looked at Fiona. "Look, I'll be honest. You weren't supposed to kick off the apocalypse."

"Say what?" Dean said, not sure he was hearing things right.

"That's the _bad_ news," Loki went on. "The good news is that _maybe_—after you spend a couple days… channel surfing—I'll fill in some of the blanks for you. Maybe even help you get a leg up on the end of the world." With a snap of his fingers, he was gone.

"What the hell does that mean—channel surfing?" Dean asked, looking confused.

"Oh, shit!" Fiona exclaimed, as she had a sudden burst of realization. "Miami!"

"Fi, are you okay?" Sam asked, frowning.

"Miami, Florida!" Fiona said again, as though the explanation were obvious. "'Burn Notice'? Michael Weston, Sam Axe… Ring any bells?"

"Wait, wait," Dean said, thinking back to a few months ago. "You're talking about that show with that hot chick that loves to blow stuff up, right?"

Fiona gave Dean a glare but nodded in confirmation. "Yes, exactly."

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Sam asked, not sure of what to do with this new information.

"I got no friggin' clue," Fiona admitted. With a sigh, she looked around and with a dry laugh, said, "Well, at least we have the Impala."

As the trio went to the car and got in, Dean muttered, "When this is over I'm staking that son of a bitch on principle."

xxxxxxxxxxx

While Fiona Brendon and the Winchesters were trying to figure out their roles, Michael Weston sat with his girlfriend, Fiona Glenanne, and his best friend, Sam Axe, at their favorite café which was also their unofficial meeting place when talking about a case.

"So a buddy of mine asked if we could take a look into the disappearance of his girlfriend," Sam said, as he sipped his second beer of the day. "She's a property inspector and apparently she vanished last night. No phone calls, nothing."

Michael considered the situation for a moment and finally gave a half-shrug. "Okay. What about the house?"

Sam pulled out a folder and handed it to Michael. "The place was abandoned a couple years ago after some supposed ghost sightings."

"Ghosts?" Michael repeated, giving Sam a look over the tops of his sunglasses.

But Sam just shrugged and carried on. "My buddy is planning on remodeling the house. But now that his girlfriend's missing…"

"It does give credence to the whole 'ghost' theory," Fiona threw in as she supped her iced tea. "Maybe we should check out the house."

But Michael wasn't so sure. He wasn't a big believer in the supernatural and the idea of a ghost just felt… weird. But deciding to go along with the theory for the time being, he said, "Okay, Fi. You and Sam check out the house. I'll talk to your friend, Sam. See if there's another possible angle on this."

"His name's Brent Fisher," Sam said, handing Michael a business card.

xxx

Fiona Glenanne had been expecting a supposed haunted house to look more derelict. But the house that she and Sam Axe stood in front of was a charming two-story Tudor that looked to be in pretty good shape.

"Doesn't exactly look like a haunted house, does it?" Sam Axe observed as he went to the front door and opened it, stepping aside to let Fiona through. "Ladies first."

Fiona went in, looking around as she removed her sunglasses. "Very nice."

The two started walking through the house, looking for anything to indicate where Claire Reynolds had gone.

Sam had just stepped out of the walk-in pantry when the air temperature suddenly dropped significantly. It was so cold he could actually see his breath. Looking around, he saw a pale figure standing by the sink. "Can I help you?" he asked, reaching for the gun he liked to keep on him.

But the figure didn't respond and before he knew what his him, Sam found himself thrown across the room. Looking up from the floor, Sam saw the ghost bearing down on him but before he could move to get up or defend himself, there was the sound of a shotgun blast and the ghost vanished.

"You okay?" a woman said as she helped him to his feet.

"I could use a beer," Sam admitted, rubbing his head. "Was that a…?"

"Ghost?" the woman replied. "Yeah."

"Everything okay in here?" Asked a tall man also holding a sawed-off shotgun. Behind him was slightly shorter man who was holding a .45.

"It's cool, Sammy," the woman replied, nodding as she lowered her firearm and turned to look at the young man.

"'Sammy'?" Sam Axe repeated, eyebrows raising.

"Yeah," 'Sammy' said, holding out a hand. "Sam Winchester." Pointing to his companions, he went on. "This is my brother, Dean, and my girlfriend, Fiona Brendon."

"Fiona?" Sam Axe repeated again. Looking at the trio, he couldn't help laughing. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

xxxxx

"Ghosts?" Michael Weston said, doubtfully, as he looked at the hunters.

The group was in the kitchen of Michael's old house, gathered around the dining room table while Michael's mother made lunch for everyone.

"Yeah," Sam Winchester confirmed. "The house is haunted by a woman who killed herself up in the attic. Which is where we found Claire."

"Alive?" Sam Axe asked, hopefully.

"I helped Dean get her out of the house," Fiona Glenanne confirmed. Looking at the Winchesters, she asked, "So how do we stop a ghost?"

"Salt and burn," Dean replied, matter-of-factly as he took a sip of his beer. "Find out where the bitch is buried and torch the remains."

Michael wasn't sure what to make of that information but decided to go along with things for the time being. "Okay," he said, slowly. "So how do we find where this woman's buried?"

xxxx

While the two Sams, Michael, and Dean went to check the local records, Fiona Glenanne grabbed Fiona Brendon and dragged the other woman to a local collection of boutiques.

"What are we doing here?" Fi asked as the other Fiona parked the car,

"Shopping, darling," Fiona G. replied as the two entered a shop. Looking over her counterpart, she smiled. "Something to impress your boyfriend."

"Yeah, I need something more functional, okay?" Fi B. replied, looking at the outfits hanging up.

But Fiona Glenanne was not to be deterred. "Trust me. When I'm done with you, you'll still kick ass and look fabulous doing it."

xxxxxx

When Sam Winchester next saw his girlfriend, he thought his lower jaw might just fall off.

Fiona Brendon strode towards him in a pair of strappy high heels and she also wore a pair of tight jean shorts and a sleeveless top that hugged her every curve perfectly. She had on a pair of sunglasses that matched the ones Fiona Glenanne wore and Sam couldn't help as his eyes roved over every inch of his girlfriend.

"You like?" Fiona B. asked, looking a touch embarrassed to be showing so much skin.

"Uh, I… I-I do," Sam W. stammered. "I like it a lot." He tried to repress the way his body was reacting to the sight of Fiona but he failed miserably. Looking at Dean, he gave his brother an apologetic look before grabbing Fi's hand and hurrying away towards the nearest motel.

Dean just watched the two go off, and to his surprise, he didn't feel the usual uncomfortable squirm that normally came when he thought of Fiona and Sam having sex. Instead, he felt happy. Maybe it was just the idea that his brother and his best friend were doing something other than worrying about the apocalypse or maybe it was the fact that Fiona seemed to be so lighthearted right now. He knew when the three of them got back to their own world Fiona likely be paralyzed again, but until then, Dean just wanted her to enjoy herself for as long as possible.

xxxxxxxxx

Years from now, Fiona Brendon would look back on this day as the best of her whole life.

She and Sam had spent the better part of 12 hours doing everything and anything they could think of. There had even been body shots and chocolate involved.

Fi felt spent and her adrenaline was only now starting to come back down to normal. She ran her toes up and down Sam's calf, before she leaned into him, savoring the feel of his hand against her bare thigh.

"I've loved you since I was 4," Sam whispered into Fi's ear as he slipped his hand between her legs, enjoying the way Fi's body shivered. "When I was 8 I told Dean I was going to marry you someday."

Fiona closed her eyes, thinking of all the lonely nights in the Middle East. "I used to go to sleep imagining you holding me when I was in the Marines," she admitted. "Never leave me?"

"Never," Sam promised as they fell asleep, intertwined.

* * *

><p><strong>Royal Pains<strong>

The couple woke up in a different motel but there was still a salty ocean breeze wafting in through the open window. But instead of the breeze being tainted by the air pollution of Miami, the breeze here felt clean and soft.

Fiona got up first and grabbed her bra and panties before going into the bathroom for a shower.

When she got out of the shower, she had to do her best not to scream in alarm when she saw Loki sitting on the sink. "Jeez! What the hell?"

"Nice to see you, too," Loki replied with a smile. "How's the vacation going?"

Fiona pulled a towel around her and sighed as she studied the Trickster. Slowly sitting down on the edge of the tub, she said, "I don't want to go back." Looking at the demigod, she added, "If I go back I'm stuck in that wheelchair having mediocre sex. At least with this jumping around, Sam and I can… Wait, why the hell am I explaining myself to _you_?"

Loki nodded in understanding as he said, "And that's just one of the hard choices you'll have to make. You need to be prepared for that. And look—just because it's destiny, doesn't mean it's set in stone."

"Who are you? Really?" Fiona wanted to know.

But the Trickster just smirked before vanishing once again.

xxxx

Sam and Fi found Dean at a local restaurant sitting in front of a burger and fries.

"Been wondering when you two would show up," Dean mumbled around a mouthful of food.

"Classy, Dean," Fiona said as she sat down next to Sam. She was wearing a slinky camisole top today and capris with strap sandals today and felt more like a girl than she'd felt in a long time. "So… anyone have a clue where we are now?"

"Somewhere in the Hamptons in New York," Dean replied after swallowing and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Okay, there are only two shows I know of that take place in the Hamptons," Fiona said, thoughtfully. "So either we're on an episode of 'Barefoot Contessa' or—"

But Fi was cut off when there an explosion in the direction of the kitchen.

Sam, Dean, and Fiona were thrown backwards by the blast and landed amidst the chairs and tables also thrown by the blast.

xx

Dean faded in and out of consciousness for a while, finally able to focus as a man bent over him.

"Hey, don't move okay?" the man said, briskly. "Can you tell me your name?"

Dean looked around, but didn't see Sam or Fi anywhere. "Where's my brother?"

"Right here, jerk," Sam said, stepping into view. He had some pretty good scratches on his face and his left wrist was braced.

"Your name," the stranger repeated, studying Dean intently.

"Dean Winchester," Dean replied, catching the slight nod from Sam indicating that it was okay to go with real names. "Where's Fi?"

"Your friend Fiona is helping triage the other injuries," the man replied. "Is she an Army medic, or…?"

"Marine," Dean said, slowly getting to his feet. His head ached but if he had a concussion, it felt like it was only minor. His ribs were sore, but it didn't feel like any were broken. Looking at the man who'd been examining him, he asked, "Who are you?"

"Dr. Hank Lawson," Hank said with a smile. "Listen, Dean, why don't you at least let me give you a once over? Make sure you're okay."

Dean was about to argue but when he saw Sam's stern look and sighed as he took a seat in one of the chairs nearby.

After finding nothing more than a minor concussion and a couple bruised ribs, Hank asked, "So what brings you guys to the Hamptons?"

"Vacation," Dean said, simply. When Hank moved off to check on some of the other injuries, Dean looked at Sam. "How's the arm?"

"Sprain," Sam shrugged. "Hank said just to keep it braced for 4 to 6 weeks. He said if it gets worse, give him a call and don't worry about insurance."

"Huh," Dean said, surprised by that. "That's nice of him."

"Yeah, apparently he and his brother run a concierge medical practice," Sam explained. "Hank's the doctor, and his brother, Evan, handles the finances." Noticing that Dean was wincing, he asked, "You okay?"

"Nothing a couple painkillers and some booze won't fix, Sammy," Dean assured his brother.

xxx

At first. Dean had thought he was dreaming. Waking up in the motel room in the middle of the night, he looked over at the other bed, but Fiona and Sam were still asleep.

Getting up and walking to the bathroom, Dean wondered why he kept hearing the sounds of crowds. Opening the door, he walked in, jaw dropping as he entered the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Whose Line Is It Anyway?<strong>

Dean looked to his left and right, noticing that Fiona and Sam also seemed confused as to what they were doing there. Sitting at the end of the row was a man Dean recognized, and with a sudden jolt, he realized what TV show they were now on.

"Welcome to 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'!" said a heavyset man with a short haircut and glasses with thick plastic frames. "On tonight's show—He's not afraid of the dark…Sam Winchester! He killed the thing under your bed…Dean Winchester! She made the boogieman cry…Fiona Brendon! And he _is_ the thing in your closet…Ryan Stiles! And I'm your host—Drew Carey—Come on down. Let's have some fun."

Drew went to sit behind a prop-desk and smiled at the TV cameras as he said, "Welcome to 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'—the show where everything's made up and the points don't matter. That's right, the points are just like copyright laws to fan fiction writers."

The audience rippled into laughter and Sam, Dean, and Fi exchanged looks. How exactly were they supposed to play along with this?

Explaining the show, Drew went on. "If you've never seen the show before, these four actors are going to come up and make up everything you see here, right off the top of their heads. And at the end of each game, I give them points—Don't know why; just a gag to keep the show together. And at the end I pick a winner. Winner gets to do a little something special with me and the loser has to explain things to the cops."

Drew pulled out a red, white, and blue hat and gave it a shake as he said, "We're going to start off with a game called 'Scenes From a Hat'—this is all four of you."

The group stood and Dean stood on one side of the floor with Ryan Stiles, while Fi and Sam stood on the other side as Drew explained the game before reading the first suggestion. "Rejected State Mottos."

With a shrug, Fiona stepped forward, turning to face the audience. "Come to Michigan! We're #1... in unemployment!"

After Fi retreated back to her spot, Dean went next. "Visit Alaska! We're famous for having crabs!"

Fiona doubled over laughing and even Ryan and Drew cracked up.

"Oh, that was good," Drew said, pulling out another slip of paper. "Things you can say about your business, but _not _your girlfriend. Or boyfriend, I suppose."

The four thought for a moment and finally Dean stepped up. He was actually enjoying himself, really. "Do you offer two-for-one specials?" When he went back to his spot, Dean gave Fiona a grin which she returned before glaring at him as she stepped forward.

"This place is so small, you can't do anything in here," Fiona said with a smirk as she heard the groans from the other guys.

"Okay, changing things before this gets mean," Drew said, withdrawing another suggestion. "The wrong thing to say on a first date."

Sam grinned as he stepped up. "Just follow one rule: driver picks the music, shotgun shuts their cakehole."

Dean didn't say anything for a second, but when he finally stepped onto the floor, he said, "I call my brother 'Sasquatch' because it helps his self-esteem."

Fi grabbed her boyfriend's arm, holding him back before he could retaliate for the remark.

When Drew ended the game, Fiona sat between Sam and Dean, hoping the two wouldn't come to blows.

The next game was Hoedown, and Sam looked embarrassed at the prospect of singing in public—even more so when the subject of said hoedown was selected. Falling in love?

But the music started up and finally, Sam started to sing.

_"I have loved a girl since I was 4 years old._

_She's sexy, smart, lots of fun and has a heart of gold._

_She's probably the best woman that I have ever seen._

_She also happens to be a world-class Marine."_

Fiona blushed at that and tried to think of something to say about Sam and finally came up with a verse.

_"Well, I found Mr. Right—yes, he's the one for me._

_He's got a killer smile and the best ass you've ever seen._

_He really is a man like no other._

_The only problem is my best friend is his brother."_

Sam and Fi exchanged looks before both of them looked at Dean who seemed to be resistant to the current singing subject. But finally, he took a breath and sang,

_"Falling in love never felt like my kind of thing._

_Certainly not something about which I'd ever sing._

_But I met a great woman—sexy with a lot of class._

_And I can't break up with her, because she'd kick my ass."_

The trio of hunters looked at Ryan Stiles who gave them a smile before doing his final verse.

_"Oh, well I could jump with joy and shout._

_Because they got what this was all about._

_It's not about fate or your destiny._

_It's all about love and family."_

When Ryan ended the verse, he snapped his fingers, transporting the hunters back to Fiona's townhouse in the real world.

Sam and Dean had to grab Fiona quickly as she'd suddenly started to collapse and when they looked back to where Ryan Stiles had been, they found themselves looking at the Trickster.

"You know, this was supposed to have a different ending," The Trickster said, looking at the trio with newfound respect as he conjured Fiona's wheelchair. Once she was sitting down, he went on as he paced slightly. "I had this whole big speech planned about you two—" he pointed to the Winchesters. "—accepting your roles in the apocalypse."

"Why would you want that?" Dean asked, a trifle confused.

"Because I didn't understand then what I do now," Loki replied. "So… Let's start over, shall we? Hi, I'm Gabriel."

"Gabriel the archangel?" Fiona asked, floored by the sudden revelation.

"That's the one," Gabriel said with a shrug. "And as I said before—I'm tossing out the whole speech about accepting destiny. Screw destiny!" Looking at the group, he went on. "Hell… Dean, your father was supposed to be the one to break the first Seal. Sam, you were supposed to break the last one. And Fiona… well, honey, you're not supposed to be here at all."

Before Sam and Dean could ask about that, Fiona just said, "It's a long story that I'll tell you later."

"So what do you want from us?" Sam asked, still a trifle confused on the situation.

"A promise," Gabriel replied. "Well, two promises, actually. One—you end this your way. Forget the other angels telling you the only way out is by saying 'yes'. You find another way, you take it."

"Okay," Dean agreed. "What's number two?"

Gabriel smiled at Sam and Fiona and then at Dean. "Promise that you won't forget what's _really_ important."

* * *

><p>When Ziva David came home from NCIS that night, she was surprised to find a trail of rose petals leading to the kitchen where the table was set for two, complete with candles and wine chilling in a bucket nearby.<p>

'Gimmie That Girl' by Joe Nichols was playing in the background as Ziva sat down just as Dean came into the room. "What is all this?" Ziva asked, surprised as Dean poured wine for the two of them before sitting down.

"It's our first date," Dean replied, silently thanking Gabriel for the assistance on the food. "I wanted it to be special."

"So this more than just sex to you?" Ziva wanted to know. She was hoping, certainly, but she'd never been lucky when it came to love and what she had with Dean Winchester always felt too good to be true.

Dean couldn't say the words 'I love you' but Ziva seemed to understand. And after a while, he finally said, "It's a lot more."

xxxx

While Dean and Ziva had their date, Sam and Fiona were in a motel room, lying naked in bed. The sex they'd had since getting back from TV Land was more tender and sedate that the wild fits of passion they'd had before, but that was understandable since Fi was once again paralyzed.

But as she lay against Sam's bare chest, Fi didn't care. She had a wonderful man who loved her and for now, that felt like enough.


	18. Let's Do This

AUTHOR'S NOTES: In terms of canon, I like the character Lisa Braeden on 'Supernatural'. But in terms of this story, I've become very resolute about pairing Dean with Ziva David from 'NCIS'.

Chapter Summary: The gang stops in on Bobby before going to Lisa Braeden's house for Ben's 10th birthday.

Chapter 18

* * *

><p><em>Let's Do This<em>

* * *

><p>Although Fiona's old townhouse in DC had become home for the Winchesters and Fiona lately, the three had decided to head out to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to check and see how their friend, Bobby Singer, was faring.<p>

According to Ellen Harvelle—who had been helping take care of the grizzled old hunter—Bobby needed some cheering up and Ellen figured seeing Sam, Dean, and Fi would fit the bill.

As the trio had prepared to head out on a cool Thursday morning, Dean looked over at Sam and Fiona who were sharing a quick kiss before getting into the car—a gleaming black '67 Chevy Impala.

It took Fiona only a minute to move from her wheelchair to the backseat of the car and Dean hated how quickly his best friend's situation had become so commonplace.

Watching Sam put the wheelchair in the trunk of the car before folding himself into the front passenger seat, Dean thought—not for the first time—about getting a bigger car. In the past it had just been a random thought but lately it seemed like a good idea.

"Dean? Are you coming?"

Dean brought his focus back to the present as he looked at the dark-haired woman who was giving him a puzzled look. "Yeah, I'm coming," he assured her.

"You were just standing there like a bump on a frog," Ziva said, watching her boyfriend and lover intently.

Dean grinned as he got in the Impala, Ziva sitting behind him. "It's 'a bump on a _log_'."

"Don't frogs also have bumps?" Ziva asked, a bit confused.

Dean didn't respond; instead he turned the music on and pulled out of the driveway to sounds of 'Lonely Is the Night' by Billy Squier.

* * *

><p>When the four got to Bobby's, they found Ellen hauling out some boxes to a pile which was growing next to the garage. She looked up and smiled as the Winchesters, Fiona, and Ziva got out of the car. "How was the drive?" she asked, casually.<p>

"Quiet," Dean said with a shrug. "How's Bobby doing?"

"Put it this way," Ellen said with a wry smile. "Jo as a toddler was easier to handle."

"That bad, huh?" Sam said, sympathetically.

As they all walked up to the front porch—Fiona using the ramp that had been installed—Ellen warned them, "Bobby's been more cranky than usual since he's been doing the physical therapy. He's doing pretty well, but…"

"Got it," Dean replied, getting the hint as he went through the front door, stopping dead when he looked around the house. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn he'd stepped into the wrong house.

"What the hell?" Sam said, standing next to his brother and also looking around the oddly clean living room.

"Don't say a word," Bobby growled as he limped into the room from the kitchen. While he was still using the crutches, he seemed to be doing infinitely better than when he'd first gotten home from the hospital. Slowly sitting down on the couch, he looked up at Sam, Dean, and Ziva. "Ellen's been going nuts with cleaning the place up. I'm not saying it didn't need it, but…"

"It looks nice," Ziva said, politely, hoping it was the right thing to say.

Bobby frowned as he looked around. The house did look much better without all the clutter. And as much as he hated to admit it, it was a welcome change not to be tripping over things all the time.

"So what're you doing with the boxes of stuff Ellen was getting rid of?" Fiona asked, curiously.

"Probably just stashing them somewhere for the time being," Bobby replied, shrugging. "Hell if I know."

Fiona didn't say anything for a moment, but finally, she said, "Look, Bobby, I owe you an apology."

"Apology for what?" The older hunter asked as his brow furrowed.

Fiona sighed and finally went on. "I'm sorry for being so bitchy in the hospital."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs myself, either," Bobby admitted. Looking at Fi, he sighed. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean what I said to you before."

"Look, getting shot in both knees is no picnic," Fiona said, sympathetically. "I can't imagine how that must have felt. And to be honest, I'd give anything to be in your shoes."

Bobby's expression turned to baffled and he asked, "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know," Fi replied with a dry laugh. "The chance to feel my legs again. To be able to walk… to have real sex."

Bobby thought about that for a while before he started to realize something. "Yeah, well, there were times I want to be in _your_ shoes. Sometimes my legs hurt so bad that numb from the waist down didn't sound so bad."

X

"Good to see those two are making up," Dean said with a smile as he watched Fiona and Bobby from the kitchen.

While Sam was on the internet at the kitchen table, Ellen and Ziva started making dinner and after a while, Ellen finally asked, "How has Fiona been doing, by the way?"

Sam and Dean exchanged a look and Sam replied, "She's still having good and bad days. But the good have been more common lately."

"Yeah, thanks to those two—" Dean gestured to Sam and Fiona as he spoke. "—finally getting it on again."

Ellen turned to Ziva who was expertly mincing onions and garlic. "How exactly do you manage to put up with him all the time, honey?" Ellen asked as she shook her head at the two Winchesters.

But Ziva's look was one of affection as she said, "After working with Tony DiNozzo for more than 3 years, Dean is a piece of pie."

Ellen gave Ziva a raised eyebrow before looking at Dean but the younger hunter just shrugged casually. "It's a thing she does," Dean explained and he couldn't help smiling at Ziva as he watched her cook.

Until the Mossad officer/NCIS agent had come into his life, Dean had never understood the phrase 'watching someone paint a masterpiece'. But the first time he watched Ziva cook in the kitchen of Fi's townhouse, Dean was captivated. Plus the fact that for a woman who could kill him 12 different ways with a twist-tie, Ziva could make some of the best pie he'd ever had.

"Dean! Hello?" Sam said, loudly.

Bringing himself out of the memory of the 5 berry pie Ziva had made last week, Dean looked over at his brother who was looking amused. "What, Sammy?" Dean asked with more of a snap in his voice than he'd intended.

But Sam wasn't bothered by his brother's tone. Turning the laptop computer so that it was facing Dean, he said, "I was saying you got an email." With a smirk, he added, "From Lisa."

"Who is Lisa?" Ziva asked, stopping what she was doing and turning to give Dean her full attention.

"She was an old flame from, like, 10 years ago," Dean explained, quickly. "Sam and I saved her son from changelings a couple years back."

"Which is why we got an invitation to Ben's 10th birthday party," Sam said, turning the computer back towards him. "It's in 5 days."

"We can make that, easy," Dean said after doing some quick thinking.

"You really want to go?" Sam asked, looking a bit surprised.

But Dean shrugged again. "Why not? Little downtime never hurt anyone. Besides, it might be fun."

Sam still looked incredulously at his brother as he said, "Are you serious? You think a 10-year-old's birthday party would be fun?"

"Hey, Ben's practically a clone of me," Dean pointed out as he watched Ziva cut up chicken thighs and place them in a bowl with some sort of marinade. "He's a cool kid."

"Okay," Sam shrugged, going to the email and drafting a reply. "I'll tell her we'll be there."

xxxx

Late that night, Ziva found Dean outside, sitting on the hood of the Impala drinking a beer and staring up at the clear night sky. "I thought you were coming to bed," she said as she joined her boyfriend/lover.

"Couldn't sleep," Dean replied, succinctly.

"If you're thinking about Lisa—" Ziva started, slowly. She didn't like the idea of Dean still pining for someone, but she could understand never getting over a first love.

"I was," Dean confirmed before looking at Ziva. "But not how you think." Taking a sip of his beer, he sighed. "When I first met Ben, I thought he was my kid. I mean he was so much like me it was scary." Looking at the woman he loved, he went on. "When I thought Ben was my son I thought… On the one hand, I found out about it right after I sold my soul and had one year to live. I thought 'At least there'll be something left of me when I'm gone'."

"On the other hand?" Ziva asked, turning to Dean.

"On the other hand," Dean said, sadly. "I kept thinking about the fact that I barely had a father growing up. How could I do that to my own kid?"

Ziva was quiet as she thought about that for a while and finally she said, "I always promised myself that if I became a parent I would not be like my father. I would not raise my children to be fighters." Thinking about Dean's situation, she went on. "But I also wonder if I would have any choice."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, a bit puzzled by that.

"Growing up, my father always seemed to be preparing me to join Mossad," Ziva explained. "My mother tried to get me to be a girl. She wanted me to play with dolls, just be a child while I could. But in the end I followed the path my father laid out for me."

Dean thought on that for a while. He understood completely. As he and Sam grew up, Sam sometimes tried to get his brother to become less of a fighter and more studious—especially when it came to school. The last fight between John Winchester and his youngest son had been because Sam wanted Dean to come with him. But to Dean the idea of him going to college—especially Stanford—was laughable.

"May I ask you something?" Ziva said as she slid further up the hood of the Impala, lying back against the windshield.

"Shoot," Dean replied, finishing his beer before fishing two new ones out of the old cooler near the passenger door.

Ziva took the beer she was offered and twisted the top off, throwing it away before taking a drink. After hearing about Lisa Braeden earlier, the question had been building in her mind. Waiting until Dean was looking at her, Ziva asked, "When all this is over… When you have a chance to settle down, start a family… Do you picture yourself with Lisa or me?"

Dean didn't say anything as he lay on the Impala's hood next to Ziva. After taking a swig of his beer, he replied, "Two years ago I wanted nothing more than to have a normal life with Lisa. But after everything that's happened…" Turning to Ziva, he added, "After meeting you… I can't imagine being with anyone else."

It was those words that caused something very few people ever saw—Ziva blushed.

* * *

><p>Cicero, Indiana didn't look any different than the last time Sam and Dean had come through. Although thankfully, the town did have a new mall not far from Lisa's house. Therefore, the group stopped and did a bit of shopping for Ben's birthday.<p>

When Dean pulled up to Lisa's house, he glanced over at Ziva who didn't seem bothered by the situation at all, despite the fact that for the past hour Fiona had been insisting that introducing you current girlfriend to your ex was a bad idea in more than 20 ways.

As everyone got out of the car, Fiona offered to carry the gifts, much to Dean's surprise.

He was even more surprised when Fi joked, "What good is it being in a wheelchair if you can't play pack-mule every one in a while?"

"Dean," Lisa said, as she came around front from the backyard. "You made it," she added with a delighted smile.

"Yeah," Dean said feeling a bit embarrassed. When he heard Fiona clearing her throat, he said, "Uh, you remember my brother, Sam?"

"Nice to see you again, Sam," Lisa said, shaking his hand warmly.

"And this is Fiona Brendon," Dean said, indicating Fi. "Sam and I have known her since we were kids. Her dad was in the Marines with my dad."

"Nice to meet you, Fiona," Lisa replied, honestly, shaking Fi's hand. Looking to Ziva, however, she hesitated a moment before asking, "So, are you a friend, too, or…?"

Figuring the best thing to do was bite the bullet, Dean said, "Uh, Ziva and I have been together for a couple months now."

Lisa seemed genuinely disappointed as she said, "Oh. Right." She quickly covered by saying, "Uh, come on around back. I'll show you where to put the presents."

Fiona followed Lisa, the others behind them and Fi set the gifts down on a table nearby. "So when's the party starting?" Fi asked, glancing at her watch.

"In about 3 hours," Lisa replied. "You guys got here a bit early."

"Sorry," Fiona apologized. "I insisted we get here early."

"Well, can I get you guys anything to drink or…?" Lisa asked, looking at the others.

"Uh, actually, I think we're going to quick grab a couple motel rooms for the night," Sam replied, sparing Dean from making small talk.

Surprised that they weren't staying, Lisa just gave the group a small smile. "Well, thanks for dropping the presents off, anyway."

"We will be back," Ziva assured her. Looking at Fiona, she added, "In fact, Fiona and I can help you get ready for the party."

Dean and Sam exchanged a look before looking back at the ladies. Both brothers knew that it was a bad idea but there was no way to refuse without making it clear that they didn't want the ladies gossiping about them.

"Alright," Dean said, with what he hoped was a sincere smile. "We'll catch up with you ladies later."

Once the Winchesters were gone, Lisa sat down on one of the nearby chairs, looking utterly bewildered.

"Ziva, why don't you grab a couple sodas or something?" Fiona suggested. Once the other woman was gone, Fi said, "Not as over Dean as you thought?"

"Is it that obvious?" Lisa asked looking up at Fiona.

Fi smiled warmly as she leaned forward and said, "First time I saw Sam in 5 years I kissed him like he was the last man on earth."

Lisa nodded, knowing what Fi was trying to say. "It's not like I haven't dated since I last saw Dean. But I just can't stop thinking about him, you know?"

Fiona sat back when Ziva came out holding three bottles of soda and handed them around before sitting down as well. "That's the Winchesters for you," Fi said with a smile. "Once they're in your system, they're there forever."

xxxxxx

"This is a friggin' nightmare, man!" Dean exclaimed as he and Sam headed for the motel.

"Dean, _you're_ the one who invited Ziva to come along," Sam pointed out. "And what's with the two of you lately?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, a bit confused by the question.

"You guys haven't spent more than a week apart for the past month," Sam replied. "We're spending more time on pointless cases around DC and less time trying to find the Colt." Seeing that Dean wasn't taking that very well, Sam added, "Look, I'm not saying it's all bad, okay? I mean with Ziva's cooking we're not hitting diners so much. And you've been drinking a lot less. I'm glad you're happy, Dean. Really, I am."

"So what's the problem?" Dean asked, wanting his brother to get to the point.

Sam sighed as he thought about everything that was going on. "Look, just promise me that your head's still in the game, okay?"

"I'm not losing focus," Dean promised, although he wondered if that wasn't a lie. "It's just with Ziva… I don't know. It's like all the knots are finally coming loose, you know? Like things are back to how they used to be, before…" He didn't say before what—rather, he left the statement open to let Sam fill in the blank on his own.

But after a while, Sam looked over at Dean who had a smile on his face as he drove. "So things are really that serious with you two?"

"I don't know, man," Dean said, with a shrug. "Maybe."

xxxxxx

"So, do you mind me asking what happened?" Lisa asked Fiona as the two worked on finishing setting up for the party.

Fi knew what she was asking about and after fixing the decorations on the refreshment table, she said, "I was possessed by a demon and stabbed myself to kill the thing."

"Oh, my God," Lisa replied, horrified. "So… I mean, what happened, exactly?"

Fi sighed and shrugged. "I have this knife that kills demons. I stabbed myself in the gut, but I guess I went a little far. Blade hit my spine and I ended up paralyzed."

Lisa wasn't quite sure what to say to that, but finally, she said, "It's gotta be hard on you."

"Some days it is," Fi admitted. "I mean, I… I was a Marine for 16 years. I'm a hunter. And then suddenly I can't move or feel my legs. The worst part is that Sam and Dean don't know the half of how bad it really is sometimes." After a moment, Fiona let out a dry laugh. "I-I-I don't even know why I'm telling you all this." When Lisa didn't say anything, Fi let out a long sigh. "The truth is… sometimes I think Sam and Dean are dealing with this whole thing way better than I am."

xxxx

When the brothers got back, Sam offered to help Lisa and Ziva finish with the food prep while Dean went upstairs to talk to Ben.

The 10-year-old way lying on his stomach on his bed reading a paperback novel and after a moment, Ben looked up, quickly trying to hide the book before Dean saw the cover. "Dean," Ben said, surprised. "Hey."

Dean wasn't fooled and he quickly grabbed the paperback. "Your Mom know you're reading this?" He asked, holding up a copy of 'Supernatural: Time Is On My Side' by Carver Edland.

"Yeah," Ben replied, a little too quickly. But catching Dean's shrewd look, he sighed. "Don't tell Mom?"

Dean hesitated but finally he smiled. "Secret's safe with me." Flipping the book open to where Ben had marked his page, Dean stopped as he skimmed part of the page. "No way," he said, softly, reading a bit more.

"Dean?" Ben asked, keeping an ear out for his mom. "Uh… Can I have my book back, please?"

"Huh?" Dean said, distractedly. "Oh, right." He gave Ben the book back, but his mind was already thinking of how to use the information he'd just read.

xxxx

The party was in full swing and while Sam, Dean, and Fiona discussed what Dean had read in the 'Supernatural' book, Ziva and Lisa were taking a moment in the kitchen. Both ladies were surreptitiously watching Dean through the dining room window. "So you and Dean are really close, huh?" Lisa asked as she sipped her coffee.

"It was not something either of us planned," Ziva assured Lisa. "At first it was just sex. I got the feeling like Dean needed to blow off air."

"Yeah, Dean's definitely a blow off steam kinda guy," Lisa agreed. Leaning towards Ziva, she added in a conspiratorial voice, "When I first met him, you wouldn't believe the kind of stamina he had."

But Ziva knew all too well the kind of lover Dean was. She knew she could be wild in bed—something that seemed to turn most guys off. But Dean could be just as wild, something that Ziva found extremely appealing. "I know how it feels like to see someone you care about with someone else," she said, sensing the awkwardness between them.

Lisa had been about to argue, but she could see in Ziva's eyes that the other woman knew all too well about lost loves. "I'm happy for you and Dean," she said, sincerely. "Really. I get the feeling Dean doesn't get to be happy all that often."

Thinking of lately when Dean would surprise her on their dates, Ziva smiled. "Not often, but it does happen."

xx

"So this demon—Crowley—has the Colt?" Fiona asked, eagerly.

"Well," Dean said with a shrug. "Chuck's a prophet and that's what he wrote. I figure it's as good a lead as any."

"So first we have to find this Crowley," Sam said, looking at the others. "Then I guess we go from there."

Fiona thought about the situation and the lack of an actual plan. But she knew that lately plans had a tendency of going south quick. "Okay," she said to the boys. "Then let's do this thing."

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter will cover the episode 'Abandon All Hope' which will end very differently than the canon episode. Also, Sam and Dean find out what Fiona hasn't been telling them about the death of her mother.


	19. Abandon All Hope

AUTHOR'S NOTES: If you haven't seen the 6th season episode 'My Heart Will Go On', I advise you stop reading NOW. Seriously. I mean it. Unless you like spoilers. Just scroll down to the second Author's note.

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I've decided to make this the 'Titanic does NOT sink' universe.

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SECOND Author's Note: Okay, you can start reading again. I just want to make sure all my readers know that I am reclassifying this as a crossover. I thought I could avoid it, but that's like Gibbs giving up coffe, or Dean refusing pie, or telling Tony he can't quote movies, or telling Castiel to burn his trenchcoat, or... You get the idea.

And can I just say that Crowley is just too freakin fun to write?

Also, there are some references to the episodes 'The Curious Case of Dean Winchester' and 'Point of No Return' especially concerning Bobby Singer.

Chapter 19

* * *

><p><em>Abandon All Hope<em>

* * *

><p>"For the last time—NO!" Dean all but shouted at he looked at Fiona.<p>

It had been two weeks since finding out that a demon named Crowley was the best lead on finding the Colt, but locating the demon had not been an easy task.

That was when Fiona suggested that she pretend to make a crossroads deal to lure Crowley out into the open.

And that had sparked one argument after another between Dean and Fiona.

While Fi and Dean continued arguing outside on the porch at Bobby's house, Sam, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Ziva, Tony and Gibbs sat around the living room, wondering when the two would come to some agreement.

Dean had called Fiona's godfather in the hopes that the older man could talk some sense into Fi. But once Tony and Ziva heard about what was supposed to go down, the two agents invited themselves along as well.

Hearing Dean and Fiona coming back inside, the others looked at them, wondering if a resolution had been achieved.

"Dean, the crossroads demons know you and they'll probably kill you on sight," Fiona pointed out, still looking pissed.

"Look, Dean," Sam butted in, ignoring the glares he was getting from his brother. "Maybe Fi's right. Maybe I should do this."

"Oh, great idea, Sammy," Dean snapped, irritably. "Hand Lucifer's vessel right over to the demons."

"Okay, what about Bobby?" Sam suggested. "He could make the deal and then we could trap Crowley."

"A deal for what?" Dean said, feeling like this whole plan was just going in circles.

Bobby frowned at the comment and said, "At this point I'd be willing to give up my soul just so you idjits would shut up."

"I'll do it," Gibbs said, straightening up and looking at the others as if daring someone to challenge the decision.

"No way," Fiona replied, almost immediately. "Gibbs, this isn't your fight."

But Gibbs gave her a warm smile as he said, "I wasn't there when Shannon and Kelly needed me the most. I'm not making the same mistake with you, Fiona."

"Boss, I hate to agree with Fiona, but she's got a point," Tony said. "Besides, what would you make a deal for?"

To everyone's surprise, Dean also argued against Gibbs' choice. Addressing the older NCIS agent, Dean said, "Look, if you do this, Crowley's going to be looking for any chink in your armor. He'll do whatever it takes for you to make the deal for real."

"You think I don't know how to stall, Winchester?" Gibbs replied, fixing the young hunter with a cool stare. To his credit, Dean didn't blink or stand down. "What do we have to do?"

* * *

><p>24 hours later, Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood alone in the middle of an intersection of dirt roads, looking around as he waited. A quarter of a mile away—to the south, north, west, and east—Dean, Sam, Fiona, Ellen, Jo, Tony, and Ziva worked on finishing what would become one giant Devil's Trap.<p>

"Well, well, well…" A smooth English voice said from behind Gibbs. As Gibbs turned, the man smiled as he went on. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The legend himself. This really is an honor, mate. So please… What can I do for you?"

"You've heard of me?" Gibbs asked, skeptically. He kept his eyes on the demon before him, not worrying when the others would finish their parts in this. He trusted the members of his team and the other hunters to get things done and be ready to back him up when he needed them to.

Crowley smiled as he watched Gibbs. It was true that the United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant was a legend—even to demons. And it had more to do with the fact that it was the one soul that every crossroads demon longed to collect—rather like a rare, one-of-a-kind baseball card. But Gibbs had never made a deal until now and Crowley wondered what had changed.

"I've heard of you," the crossroads demon replied, smoothly. "In fact, I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time." Walking around Gibbs, he noticed that the NCIS agent turned as well, keeping the demon in view at all times. "You first popped up on my radar almost 18 years ago, actually," Crowley went on after stopping and facing off with Gibbs. "It must have been unbearable—the fact that your first true love was gone along with your only child."

Gibbs said nothing, but he stiffened as the demon spoke of Shannon and Kelly. "You don't know anything about my family," Gibbs said, quietly.

"Oh, don't I?" Crowley said, raising an eyebrow as he resumed circling Gibbs. Only this time, the senior agent stayed still. "I know whenever you're in the backyard you think about emptying that toy case buried in the garden and using it to make a deal to bring Kelly back. I know lately you've been torn between whether you would bring back Shannon or Jenny Sheppard." When he was facing Gibbs again, he added, "And I know you want to sell your soul help your goddaughter, Fiona Brendon, get the use of her legs back."

Gibbs couldn't deny that Crowley was right about everything. And the very idea that this demon could help him get back the people he cared about the most was so very tempting. He could have his family back… But it wouldn't be the same. Too much time had passed and Shannon and Kelly would be the same as when they'd died. And how would they feel if they knew that he had sold his soul to bring them back?

"Gibbs, we're done. That bastard isn't going anywhere," Dean said over the earpiece Gibbs wore.

It was excellent timing and Gibbs managed to renew his focus as he said, "You know what I'd really like?" Gibbs said after a moment.

"What's that?" Crowley said, not liking the sudden smile on Gibbs' face.

"A cup of coffee," Gibbs replied as he heard the sounds of four cars coming closer.

Crowley tried to pop out but he found that he was stuck. "Bollocks!" he shouted, glaring darkly as he looked at the 5 hunters and two NCIS agents surrounded him. "And now it's a party," he said with a sarcastic smile. "Tell me, Gibbs… Why'd _you_ come when any of them could have been the bait?"

"What do you mean?" Ziva asked, keeping the shotgun she held aimed at Crowley's head.

But Crowley smile turned sinister as he studied her. "Each and every one of you wants something, darling." Pointing to Ellen and Jo, he said, "Mama Bear wants her man back and Baby Bear to be safe from everything dark and scary. Baby Bear just wants her daddy back." Turning to Tony, he went on. "You want your old girlfriend back and you want Special Agent Caitlin Todd back from the dead."

Looking to the Winchesters, Crowley seemed to be reading them for a moment before he said, "Sam just wants to settle down and have a family with Miss Fiona Brendon and you, Dean… You want so badly for this whole Apocalypse to just stop altogether."

Sam looked at his brother but Dean just said nothing.

"Now I could go on about Fiona wanting her parents back or Ziva wanting her sister back and for her daddy to actually love her," Crowley said, looking at the last two ladies. "But I get the feeling that you didn't go to this much trouble just to chat." Turning to Sam and Dean, he added, "So why don't we get down to what you _really_ want, shall we?"

* * *

><p>After getting the Colt and heading back to Bobby's, the group of hunters and federal agents started making plans.<p>

Despite insistence from Fiona and Dean that they should go home, Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs were resolute as they promised to stay and help.

"We're talking about a suicide mission," Dean pressed as he looked at the three NCIS agents. It wasn't as though he couldn't understand the loyalty. He did, but this was more than that. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Ziva David, and Anthony DiNozzo were basically saying that they were willing to die to help Sam, Dean, and Fiona achieve their goal of killing Lucifer.

"Yeah, we've done a few of those," Tony replied, determinedly. When Dean looked ready to argue, Tony went on. "You're talking a one-in-a-million chance to save everyone and everything we've ever cared about." Looking at Ziva and Gibbs as he thought about Abby and McGee, Tony met Dean's eyes and said, "Sometimes we save a couple thousand people. You're asking us to walk away from saving _millions_. Call me crazy, but that sounds like something worth laying down your life for."

Gibbs was quiet, but as he looked at Ziva, he said, "All it takes for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing. You and Sam have proved that. And I couldn't call myself a Marine if I backed down from a chance to defend those I care about."

Dean's hazel eyes were full of pain as he looked at Ziva. More than anything he wanted her far away from this. He wanted her safe and a small part of him wished they weren't so close. Because losing Ziva would be unbearable.

But Ziva understood how Dean felt and she took his hand and said, "If I die, I want to go down fighting. And I want you beside me."

x

At the dining room table, Fiona laid out a map she'd printed out of Carthage, Missouri. Looking from the map to Sam, Ellen, and Bobby, she spoke as she pointed to a street. "Main Street is here, so I figure that's where we'll shoot for." Looking at Bobby, Fiona sighed. "Although I guess you and I are sitting this one out."

"The Hell _you_ are," Bobby said, frowning.

"Bobby?" Ellen said, confused.

"Look, I may not be up for this one, but if you're staying because of _me_," Bobby said, looking pointedly at Fiona. "—I'm never letting go of that."

"He's right," Ellen sighed. She didn't want Fi to come along and since it seemed like the NCIS team was coming with despite all the arguments against, it wasn't like they needed Fiona as an extra gun. No, there was some other reason Fi would be needed. Ellen could feel it in her gut, even though she couldn't exactly articulate what the feeling was precisely.

xxx

By midnight, a full plan had been developed. Tony, Gibbs, Fiona, and Castiel would be in one vehicle and would be back-up incase something happened to Dean, Sam, Ellen, Jo, or Ziva.

Bobby would be base camp and would be keeping in touch with the others over the NCIS radios Gibbs had brought along.

But once the plans were set, no one seemed ready to try and sleep.

Dean and Tony started talking about movies, music, and cars while sipping beers in the study.

Ellen and Castiel were having a drinking contest while Jo and Sam watched.

Ziva hadn't seen Gibbs for a while and after checking in on Bobby and Fi who were reviewing maps again, she decided to follow a hunch and went outside to the main garage where—as she had expected—Gibbs was bent over the engine of the 1970 Challenger he'd picked up when he'd gone back home to Stillwater, Pennsylvania. The lights were on and the senior field agent was absorbed in poking around.

At first look, one would think that Gibbs hadn't heard Ziva approaching but those who knew Gibbs best knew that the man always seemed to have an ear out for any one approaching. "Something on your mind, Ziva?" Gibbs asked, not looking up.

"Just checking on you," Ziva admitted, sitting at a nearby picnic table. "No one can sleep. And I think we're all wondering if this is our last night alive."

"It could be," Gibbs replied, lowering the hood of the car and turning to lean against the front bumper, crossing his arms and studying Ziva intently. "Sometimes you see the end coming. Sometimes you don't."

Ziva had never really given much thought to the idea of Heaven until lately. And the more she thought about it, the more she wondered what might await her on the other side. Despite her bravery and stoicism, she was afraid to die. "Do you believe in Heaven, Gibbs?"

Gibbs uncrossed his arms and went to sit across from Ziva at the picnic table. "I do, Ziva. I like to believe that good people are rewarded when they're gone."

"What do you think awaits you?" Ziva asked, quietly, her voice cracking slightly.

Gibbs took Ziva's hands in his and he waited till she met his eyes before saying, "I know that Shannon and Kelly are waiting for me. And I think your sister is waiting for you."

Ziva didn't say anything to that, but in the quiet of the salvage yard with only Gibbs to see, she let a few tears fall down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>The next morning, everyone left without much fanfare. It seemed like no one wanted to say anything that sounded like good-bye.<p>

Once the others were gone, Bobby sighed as he went into his study and sat down behind his desk.

It had been 6 long, hard months since he'd been shot in the knees. His legs were doing better and walking wasn't so hard anymore, but he was far from being ready to join in the fight.

Reaching into a drawer, he pulled two items out, setting them on top of the papers and detritus before pulling a silver bullet out of the pocket of his shirt. Holding the bullet in one hand, he picked up the small ring box he'd pulled out of the drawer with the other, leaning forward as he opened the box one-handed, studying the engagement ring it held before looking darkly at the bullet and then at the revolver lying on the desk.

Being in the hospital right after getting shot in the knees, Bobby couldn't imagine a worse Hell. Sure, when he'd been in the Army, he'd seen some awful things—but as a hunter, he'd seen even worse. The world was going to end. Good people were going to die bloody and he was stuck on the sidelines, unable to help them. When he'd finally got home from the hospital, Bobby had spent at least one hour of every day, wondering if it would be doing everyone—including himself—a favor to just put a bullet in his head.

The same bullet that he now held in his hand.

But looking at the ring, Bobby knew why he couldn't do it. A month ago, Bobby had spend hours talking with Jo Harvelle while Ellen was out running an 'errand' for Rufus Turner—a fellow hunter.

Jo had been amused by the fact that Bobby was asking her for permission to marry her mother. But Bobby had been happy when Jo told him she didn't mind.

More than Ellen and Jo, though, Bobby thought of Sam and Dean. Those two were like sons to him and he loved them like his own—and he knew they thought as the father they should have had. And the idea of checking out when the boys were already vulnerable because of Fiona…

Bobby put the gun and ring back in the drawer and the bullet back in his shirt pocket, leaning back in his chair with a deep sigh.

Fiona Brendon…

The first time he'd seen that girl, she'd been maybe 8 or so and James had brought her over while he went after a banshee nearby.

Now Fiona was a paralyzed former Marine, trying to chase down the forces of evil from a wheelchair.

And Bobby felt ashamed every time he realized that she never complained about what had happened. She just sucked it up and went out with Sam and Dean, not letting anything stop her.

Fiona had never—as far as anyone knew—considered suicide. On the contrary, she seemed almost obsessed with trying to help stop the Apocalypse. Maybe it was because she had broken the final seal, or as revenge for her parents' deaths—who knew?

Looking upward, Bobby sighed and hoped God was in a listening mood. "You better bring them back safe," he prayed, not caring how he sounded. "You better make sure they _all_ come back. I couldn't take it if Sam and Dean bit it, and you know that. And Ellen…" Thinking of the bullet in his shirt pocket, he made a promise then and there.

The _second_ Ellen stepped foot in the house again, he was going to put that ring on her finger.

If she didn't come back… he'd put the bullet in his heart.

* * *

><p><em>Carthage, Missouri<em>

The town was empty as Sam, Dean, Ellen, Ziva, and Jo rolled down Main Street. Each of them looked around for any signs that there was someone else around.

Over the earpiece he wore, Dean heard Gibbs say, "Back roads are deserted. We're parked behind the hardware store."

Turning to Sam who nodded to show he'd heard, Dean spoke into the mic that was clipped to the collar of his jacket. "Alright. Check-in every 5 minutes."

"Got it," Gibbs replied.

Castiel looked from the NCIS agents to Fiona as they all got out of the car and grabbed shotguns loaded with rocksalt rounds. Sensing something, Cas looked around and felt a growing feeling of apprehension as he notice three reapers on the rooftops.

"Cas, what is it?" Fi asked, her gun resting on her lap as her hands gripped the wheels of her wheelchair.

"Reapers," Castiel replied, grimly.

"Reaper_s_?" She repeated, trying to see where the angel was looking. "As in more than one?"

"Am I the only one who thinks that sounds like really bad news?" Tony said, suddenly grateful that they were all wearing bulletproof vests. It might not stop everything, but hopefully the vests would keep them all alive. Seeing Castiel start walking out of the alley, Tony dashed ahead of him, hands up to stop the angel from progressing. "Whoa, whoa! Haven't you ever seen a horror movie? Stay with the group, man."

"I have to find out what the reapers are doing here," Castiel insisted.

"DiNozzo's right. We stay together," Gibbs insisted. To his surprise, the angel seemed to acknowledge his authority and nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"My apologies," Castiel said, quietly. Then, to his utmost surprise, he watched as Gibbs reached up and smacked him on the back of the head. Frowning, puzzled, he asked, "What was that for?"

"Don't apologize," Gibbs replied, simply.

"Of course," Cas muttered, a bit confused by that. However, he didn't have much time to be confused as suddenly Tony, Gibbs, and Fiona seemed to go on high alert. "What's going on?" he asked, quickly.

"Get her inside the hardware store!" Gibbs barked over his mic as he led the others into the store through the back door. Once inside, he looked at Tony. "Lock that door, DiNozzo!"

"On it, boss!" Tony replied, quickly, doing as he was ordered.

"Salt the doors and windows, too!" Fiona said, quickly, grabbing an iron chair handing on a rack before wheeling to the front door just as Sam, Ellen, and Ziva rushed in followed by Dean who was carrying a bleeding Jo. After using the chain on the door, she turned and pointed to where some bags of mulch were stacked about waist-high. "Lay her down there."

"Ziva, what happened?" Tony demanded as he looked at the young girl bleeding before him.

"Hellhounds," Dean replied, grimly. "Maybe… 5 of them."

Tony turned and glared hard at Dean who couldn't take his eyes off Jo. Ellen and Fiona were trying to stop the bleeding, but anyone with eyes could tell that it was bad. "Hellhounds?" Tony repeated. "You didn't think to mention that in the 'suicide mission speech?"

Dean turned to face Tony, his eyes full of rage and guilt. "You think I wanted this to happen? How the hell was I supposed to know that the demons would be bringing goddamned _hellhounds_ with them?"

"Dean!" Fiona barked, looking over her shoulder. "Take Castiel and grab the black duffel from the back seat of Gibbs' car! Hurry!" Turning back to Ellen and Jo, she tried to sound reassuring. "It'll be okay, Jo. I can fix this."

Ellen knew all about empty reassurances, but when she caught Fiona's eyes, there was none of that there. When Dean and Castiel returned, lugging a heavy bag, Ellen felt herself pulled away while Fiona, Ziva, Dean tried to stop the bleeding and patch Jo up. Turning to see Gibbs holding her, she couldn't help, crying as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Ziva had seen some gruesome things both in Israel—as a child and in Mossad—and as an NCIS agent. Jo Harvelle's side was ripped open and it was hard to see all the wounds because of all the blood. At first Ziva had been worried about the pain the younger woman must be in, but noticing how quickly Fiona was working, she realized the former Marine was taking advantage of Jo being in shock from the injuries.

x

Almost an hour later, Jo was as stable as could be under the circumstances. But as Gibbs looked at the group, he knew that the young woman needed to get out of here. "Tony, Ziva…"

The two agent joined their boss and seemed ready to comply or refuse whatever order they were about to be given depending on what it was.

Gibbs seemed to sense this and looked at Tony. "I need you to get Jo out of here and to the nearest hospital."

"What about you, boss?" Tony asked, not liking the twisting in his gut as he thought about leaving Gibbs alone. But Tony knew Gibbs better than almost anyone and he recognized the set look in the older man's face. "Boss, you're not staying here?"

"Got a problem with that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, looking at Tony.

Tony had plenty of problems with the plan but he didn't voice any of them. He knew what his boss was doing and that there was an almost certain chance that Gibbs would die in the final showdown. But what Tony didn't know—what he was afraid to know—was if that was the whole idea. But all he could to was trust Gibbs and hope for the best. "No, boss."

"Good," Gibbs replied, stoically, even though he was wondering why Tony wasn't arguing. "You and Castiel get Ellen and Jo out of here."

Tony just nodded and after the four left through the back door, Ziva turned to Gibbs. "What is the plan?"

Gibbs looked at Sam, Dean, and Fiona and said, "You guys know anything about bomb making?"

* * *

><p>At the hospital, Ellen watched helplessly as her daughter was whisked away to the emergency room. Sitting down in one of the plastic chairs, she bowed her head, praying that Jo would be okay. She thought of all the things she wished she'd done differently and all the things she wished she'd said.<p>

When she heard someone sit down beside her, Ellen looked up to see Tony watching her. With a sad smile, Ellen said, "Most kids are scared of monsters in their closets. Jo wanted to fight them. Ever since she was little, she's had one goal in life. She wanted to be a hunter… more than anything. And more than anything… that was the last thing I wanted her to be." Feeling new tears sliding down her cheeks, she felt her voice break as she said, "I can't lose her, DiNozzo. I don't know what I'd do if…"

Tony turned in his seat and waited until Ellen stopped crying a moment. "You're not going to lose Jo, Ellen. I think she's too tough to go out without a fight."

Ellen mananged a choked laugh at that. Nodding, she replied, "Yeah, she probably is." Squeezing Tony's upper arm, she said, "Thanks."

"Anytime," Tony replied, giving her a smile.

* * *

><p>Once out of the hardware store, Sam and Dean set off the bombs inside and headed for their showdown with Lucifer while Ziva, Gibbs, and Fiona went to Gibbs' car and headed out of town as fast as they could.<p>

Getting to the field just on the edge of town, Sam and Dean hid behind a clump of bushes, staring at the small collection of townspeople standing as still as statues while one lone figure used a shovel to toss dirt onto an enormous open grave. "Okay," Sam sighed, thinking of what they were facing. "Last words?"

Dean thought for a moment but shook his head once. "I think I'm good."

Sam thought as well and finally nodded. "Yeah. Me, too."

But before they rose to face the Devil, Dean gave his brother a sideways look and his mouth twitched in a smirk. "Bitch," he said, simply.

If the situation hadn't been so dire, Sam would have laughed. But as it was, he met his big brother's eyes and replied, "Jerk."

The two stood and while Sam went to face off with Lucifer, Dean went around, pulling the Colt from inside his jacket.

"Hey!" Sam shouted, watching Lucifer look up, surprised. "You wanted to see me?"

"Sam, you don't need that gun here," Lucifer replied, leaning on the shovel. "You know I'd never hurt you. Not really, anyway."

"Yeah?" Dean said, enjoying the look of astonishment on Lucifer's face as he turned to come face to face with the Colt. "Well, I'd hurt you. So suck it," he added, putting a bullet right between the Devil's eyes.

Lucifer fell to the ground and for a moment, Sam and Dean exchanged a hopeful look. But their moment of victory was short lived as Lucifer groaned, painfully. "Owww!" Looking at Dean, Lucifer said, irritably, "Where did you get that?" Backhanding Dean, he sent the older Winchester flying through the air and crashing into a tree where he lay motionless. Seeing Sam's horrified look, Lucifer looked honestly apologetic as he said, "Don't feel too bad, Sam. There's only 5 things in all of creation that gun can't kill and I just happen to be one of them. But if you'll give me a minute, I'm almost done."

While Sam went to check on Dean, he wondered where Fiona was now and if she was safe.

"You know…" Lucifer mused as he resumed his shoveling, glancing at Sam periodically. "I don't suppose you'd just say 'yes' here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?"

"It's never gonna happen," Sam promised as he straightened up, looking defiant.

"Oh I dunno, Sam. I think it will," Lucifer said, going back to his work. "I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen… in Detroit." After a moment, however, he shrugged. "Of course, there's always that lovely girlfriend of yours. I bet if I make her the right offer, she'd say 'yes'."

"You go anywhere _near_ Fiona," Sam promised. "—and I will kill you myself! You understand me? I will rip your heart out!"

But instead of being intimidated, Lucifer seemed amused. "That's good, Sam," he said with a smile as he kept shoveling the dirt into the open grave. "You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage? I'm going to need it."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Ellen awoke and groaned as she felt the knots in her back and neck from sleeping in the chair next to Jo's hospital bed. Looking at her daughter, Ellen breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the steady beeping of the machines monitoring Jo's vitals. Even the steady hissing of the ventilator was a strange comfort. Jo had gone into respiratory arrest during surgery, but the doctors had been able to keep her breathing.<p>

"How's she doing?"

Ellen turned to see Gibbs standing in the doorway. "She'll be okay," Ellen said, her voice weary. But watching Jo, she couldn't help thinking of how close she came to losing her little girl.

"I know how it is," Gibbs said as he watched the unconscious young woman. "My daughter and my first wife were killed in a car crash nearly 19 years ago," he added, quietly.

Ellen slowly got to her feet and rolled her neck. Turning to face Gibbs, she stroked his cheek with one hand. "Thank you, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled and nodded towards the hallway. "Bobby's waiting outside for you."

Ellen started for the door, but stopped and gave Gibbs a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

Gibbs slowly sat down, watching Jo Harvelle. From what little he had seen so far, she was as smart and tough as her mother. And a sad thought crossed his mind as he leaned forward and brushed Jo's hair out of her face. Jo was so much like Kelly. Leaning back in his chair, Gibbs wished more than anything he could see his family one more time.

x

"Bobby?" Ellen said, surprised that he had come out here just to check on her and Jo.

But Bobby limped over to her, pulling out a small box. "Ellen, I…" He let out a laugh as the whole speech he'd rehearsed on the plane ride down fled his mind. But finally he said, "I know this would be more romantic elsewhere and if I could actually kneel, but…" He opened the box and gave Ellen a second to understand. "Ellen Elizabeth Harvelle… Will you marry me?"

Ellen was speechless, but the tears in her eyes and the smile on her face was answer enough.


	20. Chapter 20

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter takes place while Sam and Dean are working the case from the episode 'Sam, Interrupted'. I wanted to delve into how Fiona's doing with everything that's happened since she killed Lilith. Needless to say, she's not doing as well as she's led everyone to believe.

Chapter 20

* * *

><p>Absorbed in working on the latest homicide victim, Dr. Donald Mallard didn't look up when he heard the Autopsy doors hiss open. "Ahh, Jethro. Sorry, but I don't have anything for you as yet. I've only just started."<p>

"I was hoping you'd have a minute to talk," Fiona said, smiling when Ducky looked up at her, surprised.

"Miss Brendon," Ducky said, pleasantly. "Of course. That is, if you don't mind me working while we talk?"

Fiona nodded. "Not a problem." Looking at the body, she asked, "What happened to him?"

"Not entirely sure yet, I'm afraid," Ducky said as he removed the man's ribcage. "No obvious signs of injury so I'm hoping the blood and tissue samples can shed some light on things." Looking up at Fiona again, he noticed that she seemed disheartened and said, "I get the impression you aren't here to discuss the case."

Fiona smiled at how perceptive Ducky was. "Sam and Dean are on a case. I just… didn't feel like going with them." The smile faded and she seemed older than 35 as she said, "I'm just tired, Ducky."

Ducky could hear in Fi's voice that she was depressed and nodded, thoughtfully. "If you'll give me a few hours, you and I can talk more extensively."

Fiona looked round as she heard the doors open again and saw Gibbs coming in. Turning back to Ducky, she tried to sound casual as she said, "See you later, Ducky."

Watching Fiona leave, Gibbs wondered what was going on. As he turned to his old friend, he noticed that Ducky seemed unusually quiet. "Something going on, Duck?"

"I'm worried about that girl, Jethro," Ducky admitted once the doors were closed. "Fiona seems to be getting increasingly depressed."

Gibbs sighed as he thought about his goddaughter. He hadn't said anything to her, but he knew the signs of depression first hand. "I know, Duck."

"Then you need to talk with her," Ducky pressed, giving his friend his full attention. "Fiona is your goddaughter and she needs you."

* * *

><p><em>19 Years Ago<em>

"Gunny… They're both dead."

_The words kept echoing in Jethro Gibbs' mind._

_Dead._

_Shannon and Kelly were dead._

_Gibbs sat on the couch in the living room, his head bowed and his gun in his hands. He'd been doing this for—well, he'd lost track of how many days. How was he supposed to live with this? The pain he felt was overwhelming and he wanted it to stop more than anything._

_Flicking the gun safety off, Gibbs ignored the persistent knocking at the door. Neighbors had been stopping by with increasing frequency, but he didn't want company. He wanted to be alone._

"_Jethro, open up!" Someone shouted. _

_It took Gibbs a moment to recognize John Winchester's voice. But instead of hollering back or getting up to open the door, Gibbs just ignored his friend's voice and turned his attention back to his gun. But a moment later, he flinched ever so slightly when the front door was suddenly kicked in._

"_Jethro," James Brendon said, calmly, as he walked into the room, seeing his best friend holding his Beretta and looking like any moment, he was going to shoot himself. "Give me the gun, man."_

_John and James slowly approached Gibbs, not wanting to make any sudden movements incase Gibbs suddenly decided to pull the trigger. "Jethro, we know how you feel, okay?" John said as he reached out a hand for the Beretta. "God, I remember when Mary died. I thought about blowing _my_ brains out the entire month after it happened."_

_James nodded, watching Gibbs the whole time. "And when Chase was in that car crash? But you wouldn't let either John or me go out like that, Jethro."_

_Gibbs' hands shook as he continued to stare at the gun. Looking up at his best friends, tears falling down his face, he said, "But you guys still have your families. James, you've got Fiona. And John, you've got Dean and Sammy… I lost Shannon _and_ Kelly!"_

"_I know," John replied, nodding as he took another step towards Gibbs. "I can't imagine if something happened to Sam and Dean. But what would Shannon say if she saw you like this? Or Kelly?"_

_John and James stiffened suddenly when Gibbs' grip on his gun steadied. But to their relief, Gibbs slowly held out his gun and when James took it, he removed the clip and emptied the chamber before putting the safety on and going to put the gun somewhere safe._

"_It's gonna be okay," John assured Gibbs as he sat on the couch next to him. "It'll be hard—I'm not gonna lie. But you'll get through this."_

* * *

><p>Present Day<p>

Finding Fiona in Abby's lab, Gibbs waited until Fiona met his eye before he looked at his forensic scientist. "Abbs, give us a minute?"

Abby nodded and turned her music off before heading into the ballistics lab and closing the door.

After grabbing Abby's chair from her office, Gibbs paused a moment before he said, "Fiona, I promised your dad I'd always be there for you. When I lost Shannon and Kelly, he and John Winchester moved in for 5 months to make sure I kept that promise." Taking Fi's hands in his, he said, "You can talk to me about anything. I'm not going to judge you."

"I started the Apocalypse," Fiona said, finally. "I released Lucifer from Hell. And you and Sam and Dean… How can you possibly forgive me for that?" Looking at the wheelchair she sat in and her useless legs, she felt tears in her eyes as she said, "I deserve so much worse than this."

But Gibbs didn't believe that and he knew that deep down, Fiona didn't really believe it, either. "Fiona…" He waited until her eyes met his before he continued speaking. "You do not deserve this." Seeing her about to object, Gibbs pressed on. "You did what you did to try to help your friends. It backfired. That's all."

Fiona was openly sobbing now but she felt some comfort when Gibbs squeezed her hands, gently. "I've tried so hard to be tough," she said, looking almost embarrassed. "Sometimes I just want to die. Everything's so hard and I just want it all to stop."

Gibbs scooted as close to Fiona as he could and pulled her into a hug. She held onto him and cried on his shoulder while he just held her. It was a small thing, but it reminded Gibbs that although his goddaughter was a Marine and a demon hunter, she was also human.

xxxxxxxxxxx

In one of the conference rooms off of the squad room, Ducky and Fiona sat alone, facing one another across the table. Fiona leaned forward, hands clasped before her. Ducky was patient, waiting for Fi to talk to him.

"Wh… When I woke up in the hospital and couldn't feel my legs, it felt like my world had come crashing down," Fiona began. "I wasn't a Marine anymore… and if I couldn't walk there was no way I could be a hunter. I wanted to…" She sighed and leaned forward more. "I'm not a coward, Ducky."

"Fiona, how you are feeling is entirely natural," Ducky replied, honestly. After a moment, he put his hand on hers. "Just talk, my dear."

Fiona sighed and after a long while, she went on. "It was so easy at first. You know—acting tough. I mean, somehow I'd automatically accepted what happened to me. In the Marines I saw friends end up trying to kill themselves because of injuries and I swore that I was not going to go down that road."

Ducky thought about that for a while and he asked, "Then why have you thought about it?"

Looking at Ducky as though he was oblivious, she said, "I started the Apocalypse. The world is going to end because of me."

But instead of being judgmental, Ducky was as kind and supportive as always. "How many lives have you saved, Fiona? How many people are walking around because you were there? And how many could have been lost if you were gone?"

Fiona had to admit that Ducky had a point. There had been Pamela Barnes… and Jo Harvelle would have certainly died if Fi hadn't been there. "I just don't know how I can keep doing this, Ducky. You don't know how hard it is trying to be strong about this."

"No, I don't," Ducky admitted with a slight shake of his head. But he squeezed Fiona's hands with his as he met her eyes and went on. "But I know how strong _you are_. I know that ever since you were 18 you were determined to make your own way in the world and you weren't going to accept charity from anyone. But it is alright to accept help every once in a while."

* * *

><p>Getting back to Fiona's townhouse two days later, Sam and Dean were at first on alert at finding the front door unlocked. Ever since she'd stabbed herself, Fiona had been more diligent on locking the doors before going to bed.<p>

But when the brothers found Gibbs sitting at the kitchen table, they relaxed slightly. "Didn't expect you to drop by," Dean said as he dropped his bag on the floor next to Sam's. Seeing how serious the older NCIS agent looked, Dean started to wonder if this was a social call or something else. "What's going on?" he asked, sharply.

"Sit," Gibbs said, nodding at the two Winchesters. When they had done so, Gibbs poured three glasses of bourbon from the fresh bottle he'd brought over. "We need to talk. About Fiona."

"She's okay, isn't she?" Sam asked, instantly thinking worst case scenario. A quick glance at Dean showed that he'd been thinking the same thing.

Gibbs didn't answer right away, but after sipping his drink he said, "Your dad and James Brendon are a large part of the reason I'm still here. I owe John and James my life."

"We get that," Dean assured him, solemnly. Sipping his own drink, he added, "I don't want to think about what might have happened to Sammy and me if it wasn't for Fi."

Gibbs was grateful that the brothers understood how important Fiona was to them, but he also had a feeling that they didn't quite understand just how Fiona was feeling lately. "And she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Sam frowned and shrugged at that, not sure what Gibbs meant. "Well, yeah… She's saved both our asses plenty of times."

But Dean had caught on to what the senior agent was saying. And while he didn't say anything, he gave a single nod to indicate that he understood. He'd had his suspicions for weeks now—ever since Gabriel had them 'channel surfing'. But the more Dean thought about it, the more he realized that Fiona had been depressed long before then. She tried to seem as tough as ever, but he knew that it was an act.

Looking at Sam and Dean, Gibbs could see that they were starting to understand. But there was something else he needed to say to the two younger men. "Sam…"

Sam Winchester looked at Gibbs and knew that he was in for the 'Dad Warning'.

Gibbs liked Sam. He knew just by looking at the kid that he would treat Fiona well. But Gibbs was still a godfather, and as such, he had to issue a proper warning. "I know you care about Fiona, Sam," he said, quietly. "And I know you'd do anything for her. And if you hurt her, I will make sure that you regret it every day for the rest of your life."

There was very little Sam could say to that, other than—"Yes, sir," Sam said, nodding insistently.

When Gibbs turned to Dean, he knew that the other hunter wouldn't be as easy to intimidate. More than that, Gibbs also knew that if Dean hurt Ziva, the Mossad officer would get payback far quicker and more efficiently than Gibbs could. "Ziva's family," Gibbs said to Dean. "I don't have to tell you what would happen if you messed with family."

"No, you don't," Dean replied. He knew about what happened when you messed with family. Hell, there were more than a few times he'd sworn vengeance because someone had hurt someone close to him.

Besides, if he broke Ziva's heart, he'd be dead before he'd have a chance to regret it.


	21. The Song Remains the Same

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I finally shifted this story over to the crossover realm. I probably should have had it that was from the start, but, eh.

While this may not be my best chapter, the next one will be beyond awesome, I promise.

Chapter 21

* * *

><p><em>The Song Remains the Same<em>

* * *

><p>The bar was dark and Dean and Fiona were the only patrons present, exempting a college kid sitting in the corner typing away on his laptop.<p>

As quiet as the room was, it made the sudden appearance of Anna all the more startling.

"You have to get out of here. Now," she said, quickly, looking panicked.

"What's going on?" Dean asked, also worried.

"Lucifer is coming after Fiona," Anna went on, talking as fast as she could. "Where can I find you later?"

"Uh, Hopwood Motel," Fiona said, still not sure why Lucifer would be after her. Unless he was going to use her as bait. "Room 42."

"I'll see you there," Anna said before winging out.

Dean didn't waste any time. Throwing down enough bills to cover the drinks, he and Fi made tracks for the Impala.

xxxxx

It was like an angel convention when Dean and Fi got to the motel room. Sam was sitting on the bed, looking from Anna, to Castiel, to Gabriel.

"What's with the halo party?" Dean asked as he closed and locked the door.

But before anyone answered, Castiel stepped forward and branded Fiona's ribs with the same Enochian sigil he'd used on Sam and Dean. "That will keep you hidden from Lucifer and all other angels."

"Yeah, which makes me wonder," Dean said with a glare towards Cas. "Why the hell didn't you do that first thing?"

"I didn't consider that Lucifer would come after Fiona," Castiel argued. "And Fiona was my only way of finding you and Sam."

"And it never occurred to you that Lucifer could use that?" Gabriel scoffed. "Come on! Luci's been tracking them—" he guestured to the three hunters. "—for the past month now! Ever since Carthage."

"Okay, why would Lucifer be after _me_?" Fiona asked, still not sure what was going on. "What, because I'm Sam's girlfriend?"

Cas caught looks from the others, but ignored them and replied, "When you gave your blood to save Sam, it made you a potential vessel for Lucifer. It wouldn't be the most ideal, but with Sam refusing, it may become his only option."

"How long have you known about this, Cas?" Dean asked, taking a step towards the angel, his eyes narrowed.

Castiel tried to dodge the question, but failed. "I fail to see the importance of—"

"How long?" Dean asked again, raising his voice.

Castiel let out a sigh. "Since before Sam was born," he admitted, lowering his gaze.

"Castiel, what are you saying?" Anna said, just as shocked as Sam and Dean.

Castiel looked up and tried to explain. "I overheard a plan to insure that Fiona Brendon would be a suitable vessel for Lucifer if something should happen to Sam."

"But then why would Lilith try to kill me? Why kill my mother?" Fiona asked, still very confused.

"Because of conflicting prophecies," Castiel explained. "There are some angels who believe that you are the only one who can safeguard Sam's soul. Then there are others who believe that you may be a stronger vessel for Lucifer."

"Great!" Fiona said, sarcastically as she threw her hands up. "First Lilith kills both my parents, and then she possesses me so that I stab myself and break the final seal. This can _not_ get any worse."

"So how do we fix this?" Sam asked the group at large. "I mean there has to be some way to undo this."

"There's one way," Gabriel spoke up, looking at the hunters before looking to Castiel and Anna. "You two keep an eye on things here. I'll take Shenzi, Banzi, and Ed here back to 1978. Should be enough time to take care of things."

"Wait, 1978?" Sam said, confused. "I wasn't even _born_ then."

"No, but I was," Fiona replied, swallowing. She thought back and finally asked, "Okay… Uh, then w-we need to go back before July 22nd."

Gabriel didn't ask why that date was important but he just acquiesced. A large part of him still felt in love with Fiona, but noticing how she and Sam were, he knew that it wasn't possible. Besides… he was an archangel/Trickster and she was a human.

* * *

><p><em>32 Years Ago<em>

_July 20__th__, 1978_

Riding high on her father's shoulders, 3-year-old Fiona Abigail Brendon knew that life didn't get any better than this. Her mother tickled her bare leg and she laughed, accidentally kicking her dad in the shoulder.

"Careful, honey," Chase warned, gently.

"Oh, no!" James said, suddenly stopping and bending over quickly, making sure Fiona didn't fall off.

Fiona screamed and squealed with delight as her father straightened up, patting her leg reassuringly. She smiled at her mother and hugged her dad's head, accidentally covering his eyes. When she looked around, Fiona frowned as she saw two men and a woman staring at her from across the street. One man was tall—taller than her daddy—and the other was a little shorter and wore some kind of weird necklace. The woman sat in a wheelchair and was looking wistful as she stared.

"What's wrong, baby?" Chase asked, noticing the frown on her daughter's face.

"Mommy, who's that?" Fiona asked, pointing at the three people.

Chase and James looked but only caught a glimpse of the trio as they hurried off, apparently trying to avoid being identified.

"Don't worry about it, Bug," James said, watching the group. The tall guy in particular had looked oddly familiar for some reason.

x

"Okay, what was that all about?" Dean asked Fiona once he, Sam, and Fiona were sitting in the corner of a café nearby. "You were like… laser-focused on that kid and her parents."

"You didn't recognize them, did you?" Fiona asked, looking down at her coffee cup.

Dean's eyes widened as he thought back. The woman had looked very much like Fiona. Leaning back in his chair, he said, "That was you and your parents." Leaning forward and studying Fiona, he asked, "And the reason you had Gabriel bring us back to today?"

"Because two days from now…" Fiona looked up at Sam and Dean. "…Mom's going to be dead."

"So what do we do now?" Sam wondered out loud. They had two days before Fiona's mother was in the car crash. Somehow they had to stop the crash and figure out away to save John and Mary Winchester.

Dean had been thinking the same thing and looking at Fiona and Sam, he came to a decision. "Look, this is about the same time James finds out about all this, right?" he said, looking at Fiona.

"Couple months ago, yeah," Fiona replied. "Something to do with werewolves, I think."

Dean nodded, thoughtfully. "Okay, Fi, you go see…" He took a deep breath and said, "Fiona, you have to go see our parents."

Fiona frowned as though Dean was suddenly speaking a foreign language. "Wait, what? Dean, you want _me_ to go talk to John and Mary? No. Why can't you do it?"

Dean was quiet but finally he replied, "Because Mom knows me. Okay? And the last time she saw me was right when her dad died. Sam and I will go talk to Chase and James, alright?" But when he noticed how reluctant Fiona was to go along with the plan, he frowned, suspiciously. "Fi, what is it?"

Fiona had known it was coming. She'd expected the questions for a long time but when they never came, she just figured she'd dodged a bullet. But realizing that discussion was now unavoidable, she gulped down the rest of her coffee and pushed the cup away as she said, "My grandparents—my mom's parents—objected when Mom and Dad got married." Looking Sam and Dean in the eyes, she added, "Because Dad was a Marine grunt… and Mom was… a society girl."

"Come again?" Dean said, not sure he was hearing things right. "So your mom is—"

"Loaded," Fiona finished. "Gramps wanted to cut Mom off, but Grammy wouldn't allow it." Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair. "Grammy had a trust fund set up in my name since I was 5." She winced, expecting the brothers to lay into her.

"That's how you've been taking care of the nicer hotels and health insurance problems," Sam concluded. Leaning back, he found himself looking at Fiona in a whole new light. All the times they'd been in dump motels together, eating at cheap diners and Fiona had been rich? "Why wouldn't you tell us about this sooner?"

"Because I don't use the money all that often," Fiona argued. "I mean… when I ended up paralyzed I paid up my health insurance for 2 years in advance. But that and the townhouse are the two biggest uses of the money. Hell, I bought my old car used and paid it off myself from what I made with the Marines."

"Okay," Dean said, flatly as he looked from Fiona to Sam. "You two take Fi's folks. I'll go talk to Mom myself."

* * *

><p>Mary Winchester was happy for the first time she could remember. She was married, she had her own place… And her previous life as a hunter was all but forgotten.<p>

So when she answered the front door and saw Dean, the hunter who had been working the case her father had died on, she immediately thought the worst. "Whatever you want, I don't do that stuff anymore," she said, quickly, going to close the door.

"This isn't about you," Dean interjected, holding the door open. "It's about Chase Brendon."

Mary paused and she opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Come in," she said, hesitantly.

Dean entered the house and when Mary turned to face him after closing the door, he said didn't wait for her to ask why he was there. "Chase is in trouble."

Mary looked alarmed at that bit of news. "Is she… What kind of trouble?"

Dean licked his lips, thinking of what to say. "Yes," he said, finally. "The kind of trouble that you know about personally."

Those words made Mary feel like her blood had turned to ice as she remembered the yellow-eyed demon who had killed her parents. "The demon?" she asked, simply, knowing Dean would know what she was talking about.

"The one he's working for," Dean clarified. Looking around, he added, "There's more. But I need you and John to come with me."

"Where?" Mary asked, long abandoned instincts rising to the surface.

Surprised that he wasn't met with more resistance, Dean stammered for a second or two before saying, "We gotta go find Chase and James."

* * *

><p>Fiona had so few memories of her mother that it was painfully easy to pretend the woman was a stranger.<p>

Chase Brendon had been extremely welcoming when Sam and Fi had come by the house, saying that they were looking at the neighborhood. James took Sam for a tour of the house while Fiona and Chase went into the living room. A housekeeper brought in a coffee tray and set it down on the coffee table before leaving quickly.

Fiona looked around, amazed at the world her mother lived in. An expensive house, a housekeeper… Was this what she could have grown up with?

"So what can I do for you?" Chase asked, pouring coffee and adding cream and sugar to her cup.

"My boyfriend and I are looking for a new house," Fiona lied. "I used to be in this townhouse in DC, but then I was in this attack and I ended up paralyzed so stairs are a problem right now."

"God…" Chase breathed as she glanced in the direction of the stairs. "I-I can't imagine what I'd do if something like that happened to my little girl."

"You have a daughter?" Fiona asked, trying to sound casual, even though this was one of the most surreal situations she'd ever been in.

"Fiona," Chase said with a proud smile. With an amused smile, she added, "I've never met another Fiona before."

"My mother just thought the name sounded pretty," Fi replied, shrugging before taking another drink of her black coffee.

"Mommy!" 3-year-old Fiona ran into the room from the kitchen, and headed straight to her mother who picked her up, setting her on her lap. Little Fiona looked at her grown-up self and said, "She's the lady who was watching me, Mommy."

Fi looked embarrassed when Chase looked at her and when Chase finally shooed Little Fiona out of the room, she asked, "Why were you watching my daughter earlier?"

Fiona wanted to tell her mother the truth but decided to wait until Dean came with John and Mary to explain. "Sam and I… we want to have kids, but…"

Chase seemed to melt almost instantly, nodding. "I understand. Um…" Leaning forward, she kept her voice down as she spoke. "I know most parents were a gift from God, but… with Fiona it was anything but."

Fiona set her cup down and leaned forward as well. "Tell me." When Chase seemed reluctant, Fi reached forward and put a hand on her mother's knee, waiting until the older woman looked at her. "Sam and I want a child more than anything. How did you do it?"

Chase sighed and shook her head. "It was all so surreal," she replied. "It was this… this man in a bar. He had this English accent and he said he could help me get pregnant. I told him I'd do anything if he could help." Frowning, she added, "Then he kissed me. 'Sealing the deal', he said."

Fiona didn't know what to say to that. She wanted so much to tell Chase the truth—to let her mother hug her tightly and tell her everything would be okay. And she wanted to warn her mother about what would happen the day after tomorrow.

"Ma'am?" the housekeeper, Grace, said as she came into the room. "The Winchesters are here."

"Uh, show them in, please," Chase said awkwardly as she stood. "Thank you. Grace."

A few moments later, Sam, Dean, John, and Mary came in, followed by James.

Fiona looked at her parents and the Winchesters and after a long pause, she said, "We need to talk."

"No, we don't," Mary Winchester spoke up, looking like she was o the verge of tears. When Fiona looked to argue, Mary shook her head, firmly. "Dean told John and me who you and Sam really are."

"Mary, what are you talking about?" Chase asked, looking from Sam to Dean to Fiona.

"It's complicated," Mary explained, although a quick glance at James confirmed that he also knew about the supernatural. Looking back to her best friend, she said, "I'll explain if you want me to, but trust me… You're better off not knowing."

"No, she _has to know_," Fiona exclaimed. Looking at Chase, she said, "I'm your daughter." Ignoring Chase's astonished and skeptical look, Fi went on. "My full name is Fiona Abigail Brendon. You named me after your great-grandmother and your favorite aunt. Tomorrow, you and Dad take me to the zoo and I get scared by the zebras." She took a breath and added, "The day after… y… you take me to the toy store and get me a stuffed zebra that I name ZigZag."

Chase looked stunned, but looking into the woman's eyes—her eyes—she knew it was true. "My baby…" she said, sitting down again and touching Fiona's cheek with one hand.

Fiona tried to reign in her emotions as she looked at John and Mary. "We came back here to change the past. To save you." Looking at her own parents, she added, "All of you."

"You can't," Chase sighed, looking heartbroken about the idea. Looking from her daughter to Sam and Dean. "You don't know what changing the past could do."

"Mom, listen," Dean said; before Mary could cut him off, he hurried on. "Before Sam is 6 months old, you take him and you run. You get as far away as you can."

"Dean," Mary said, tears in her eyes as she looked at her older son. "I can't run. You know that it'll never be over. Besides…" She looked down at her still flat belly and then back up at the man her baby would become. "It's too late."

John looked floored as his eyes went from his wife to his full-grown sons. Mary was already pregnant. He wished he could take her away from everything. Some place where nothing evil would ever find her. But if Mary was right than nothing anyone did now would matter. But maybe there was something he _could_ control. "Who's godfather?" he asked, looking at Sam and Dean.

"James," Dean replied, flatly. "And, uh… Dad, you're godfather to Jethro Gibbs' daughter, Kelly."

"Uh, about Jethro," James asked looking curious. "H-He's still—"

"He's still alive," Sam assured him. "Listen, there's something you need to know," he said, knowing that it probably wouldn't make much difference. "He'll need you. It'll be bad and he won't ask for help, but he'll need you and John to be there."

"You got it," James assured him.

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

Castiel and Anna were surprised when Sam, Dean, Fiona and Gabriel suddenly reappeared in the motel room.

"What happened?" Anna asked, confused. "Nothing changed. Was there a problem, or…?"

"No problem," Dean assured her, pulling a fresh bottle of whiskey out of his bag and opened it before taking a long swig and passing it around.

"Then why didn't you stop it?" Anna asked, still not understanding. How could the three go back and still let everything unfold?

"Because all the good Sam and I have done… everyone we've saved—everyone Fi's saved—that was all be erased. "So, yeah. We didn't do anything. Cause I figure it's better going out knowing that you did something good."

Anna snatched the liquor bottle from Sam who had been about to take a sip and took an extra long drink. "You guys are freakin' idiots," she grumbled, handing the bottle to Gabriel.

"Welcome to Team Free Will," Dean said with a smile as he took another sip from the bottle.

"'Team Free Will'?" Sam repeated, looking at Dean with a raised brow.

"Yep," Dean confirmed, looking at the group and pointing to each in turn. "One ex-blood junkie, a drop-out with 6 bucks to his name, a paralyzed Marine, two rebel angels, and an archangel turned trickster. Awesome."

"That's not funny," Anna replied, frowning.

"Hey, at least we're better than Team Edward," Gabriel pointed out, conjuring a second bottle of whiskey as Fiona finished off the first.


	22. My Bloody Valentine

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm working on my notes for the last chapters of this story including some twists when it comes to Team Free Will.

Also, the song used in this chapter belongs to Michael Buble and not me.

Chapter 22

* * *

><p><em>My Bloody Valentine<em>

* * *

><p>There were many memorable firsts in Ziva David's life.<p>

She remembered her first fight when she was 8.

She remembered her first kiss… the first friend she'd lost to violence and war…

And this year would be her first real Valentine's Day.

Ziva had Dean's word that—while he was on a case-he'd still be available to go to dinner at Ziva's favorite restaurant where he had a special surprise for her.

And Ziva had promised that she would be entirely free that night—even if it meant ducking out of her own case.

As she had hung up the phone after talking with Dean, Ziva felt oddly giddy. An unusual feeling for her… but certainly not an unpleasant one.

For Sam, Dean, and Fiona, the approaching holiday was one that they had never really celebrated in the past.

Well, except for Sam. He remembered his first and only Valentine's Day with Jessica and even though the memory of her death was still painful, Sam was more focused on his first Valentine's Day with Fiona.

Dean, however, was focused more on the case, for once.

A few days ago, a couple had apparently tried to eat each other. The scene had been bloody and while Dean and Sam had gone to interview the victim's families, Fiona had gone to talk to the coroner to try and get an idea of what they were looking at.

But as the three gathered in the motel room, Sam looked at Dean, curiously. "Don't you have to go, man?"

"Oh, right," Dean replied, looking at his watch. He hadn't realized it was getting so late and he quickly changed clothes as he asked, "So what are you two love birds up to tonight?"

Fiona raised an expectant eyebrow at Sam who seemed suddenly put on the spot. He hadn't planned anything extravagant like Dean, but maybe he and Fi will just get take-out or something.

"Sam and I are going out to dinner," Fiona finally replied, sparing her boyfriend. "We might be back late, though."

Dean grinned as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. He thought about leaving the Impala for his brother and Fi, but then how would he get to the restaurant in time to meet Ziva?

But it turned out Dean shouldn't have worried. As he headed out of the parking lot, a limo pulled in, parking near the motel room where Sam and Fi were. Turning back to the road, Dean headed out, hoping Ziva would like his surprise.

* * *

><p>Sam had never been good with the romantic stuff. Whether it was asking a girl out on a date or trying to charm a witness, Sam Winchester had never been comfortable with the whole thing. Sure, he had the puppy dog stare, but that was about it.<p>

Thusly the reason he was grateful that Fiona had taken the lead tonight, arranging the limo and dinner at a cozy little café not far from NCIS.

As the two sat at their table with beers in front of them and an appetizer sampler platter to share, Sam thought about the small wrapped jewelry box in his pocket. He'd spent days trying to find the right gift and finally found just the perfect thing for Fiona.

As she finished off her first beer and ordered another one, Fiona also thought about the gift she'd found for Sam. The man was so hard to shop for and she wanted something meaningful instead of the usual weaponry or books. Something to show that she knew Sam better than anyone.

In the end, Fi thought she could have done better with her choice of gifts, but the pickings lately had been slim and her choices had therefore been fairly limited.

Sam looked at Fiona as the two started their dinners, smiling as he heard the current song playing in the background. "I used to think of you every time I heard this song," he admitted.

Fiona nodded, listening to the theme song from 'An American Tail'. "I used to think of you, too."

Sam paused a moment and finally pulled the jewelry box out and slid it across the table to Fiona who picked it up, pulling the wrapping paper off and opened it, revealing the silver ring inside. "It's a Claddaugh ring," Sam explained. "It means—"

"I know," Fi said, quickly, pulling the ring out and looking at the two hands holding the crowned heart. Looking up at Sam, she smiled. "I love it."

Sam took the ring and Fiona's left hand, sliding the ring onto her finger, the heart pointing towards her. "I'll always be yours," Sam promised, still holding Fi's hand. "And only yours."

Fiona couldn't say anything, but the happy tears in her eyes said plenty.

* * *

><p>At a classy restaurant across town, Ziva sat at a table near what was commonly used as a stage area for live performances. When she'd arrived, the maitre d had escorted her here and informed her that Dean would be along shortly.<p>

But when Dean Winchester finally showed up standing on the stage, Ziva found herself speechless—even more so when the music for one of her favorite songs started up.

Dean walked up to Ziva and held out a hand to her. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet and started to sing.

"I'm not surprised—not everything lasts

I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track

Talked myself in—I talked myself out

I get all worked up, then I let myself down

"I tried so very hard not to lose it

I came up with a million excuses

I thought I'd thought of every possibility"

The expression on Ziva's face was priceless as Dean danced with her as he sang and even though he was just a little embarrassed to be singing this kind of music, it was worth it to see Ziva's eyes light up.

"And I know some day that it'll all turn out  
>You'll make me work so we can work to work it out<br>And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get  
>I just haven't met you yet"<p>

As much as Dean hated to admit it, the song was the perfect theme for his relationship with Ms. Ziva David. It had been a random circumstance that had drawn the two together and yet somehow they found each other to be more suited than either could have ever imagined.

"I might have to wait, I'll never give up  
>I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck<br>Wherever you are, whenever it's right  
>You'll come outta nowhere and into my life<p>

"And I know that we can be so amazing  
>And, baby, your love is gonna change me<br>And now I can see every possibility"

As Ziva danced with Dean as he sang, she finally understood what it felt like to truly be in love. And she also knew that now and forever, this would be her song with Dean. Nothing else mattered other than this wonderful moment. All the demons and monsters… her father—who hadn't been happy about her being with Dean… Everything other than this moment was pushed far, far away.

"They say all's fair in love and war  
>But I won't need to fight it<br>We'll get it right and we'll be united"

For the first time in his life, Dean Winchester had it right. Until now all of his relationships had been a few nights—a few weeks, max. But he'd finally found someone who made him feel complete. He felt like he could tackle the world and every horrible thing in it. And it was all thanks to the incredible woman he was now twirling across the stage.

"And I know that we can be so amazing  
>And being in your life is gonna change me<p>

And now I can see every single possibility

"And someday I know it'll all turn out  
>And I'll work to work it out<br>Promise you, kid, I'll give so much more than I get

I just haven't met you yet"

Dean ended the song by dipping Ziva and giving her a lengthy kiss on the lips as she wound her arms around his neck. When he stood up, all sights and sounds seemed to fade out and all he knew was the sweet taste of Ziva's lips.

* * *

><p>The next morning found Fiona and Ziva both practically glowing as they sat in a local diner facing their respective Winchesters. They'd all placed their breakfast orders and were now discussing the current case.<p>

"So according to the police scanner," Sam said, looking at the others. "Another couple was found dead last night. Suicide/homicide. Guy blew his girlfriend's brains out before turning the gun on himself."

"I spoke to Ducky," Ziva added, running her foot slowly up and down Dean's leg, enjoying that he seemed a bit uncomfortable. "He also had a strange case involving an older couple. Whatever this is, it seems to be spreading."

Dean thought quickly and asked, "Any chance we can… see the crime scene photos?" he asked, wishing Ziva would stop touching him with her foot. He felt so horny he could barely think.

"I'll have Abby email copies," Ziva replied, pulling out her phone and calling NCIS's forensic scientist.

"Sam and I will go see the local coroner," Dean added, thinking that he needed to get away from Ziva for an hour or two. God, what the hell was happening to him? His hormones felt like they were on overdrive.

Of course, one glance at Sam and Dean could see that his brother wasn't looking much better. What was going on?

* * *

><p>The coroner had happily let the Winchesters in to see the bodies and as the two studied the latest dead couple's organs, Sam spotted something. "Wait a second," he said, pulling the magnifying light over and studying the marks on two of the hearts. "These hearts have identical marks. It's like some sort of letter." Thinking to when he might have seen something similar, Sam groaned. "Oh, no."<p>

"What?" Dean asked, confused.

"I think it's Enochian," Sam explained.

Dean quickly thought and realized what his brother meant. It was an angelic mark, like those on his ribs. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Castiel who appeared in the morgue before Dean even had a chance to hang up the phone.

After giving the rebel angel the cliff's notes version of what was going on, Castiel studied the hearts in question. "You're right, Sam," Cas reported, putting the cold organ back in the container. "These are angelic marks. I imagine you'd find similar marks on the other couples' hearts as well." Turning to look at Sam and Dean, Cas frowned and without warning, he put his hands over the Winchesters' hearts.

"Whoa, dude!" Dean said, backing away, quickly. "Personal space, man. I know it's Valentine's Day and all, but come on!"

"You and Sam are also marked," Castiel explained, looking a bit surprised at that.

"Wait, what?" Sam said, more than a little shocked at the news. "Marked with what? I mean, what do these symbols mean, anyway?"

"They're marks of union," Castiel clarified, indicating the two disembodied hearts. "This man and woman were intended to mate."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, each thinking of the angel's words.

* * *

><p>"Okay, one more time—like I'm 6," Fiona said when Dean, Sam, and Castiel got back to the motel room. Castiel had run through what he knew about Cupids and the marks on the dead couples' hearts and Fi was just floored.<p>

But instead of being patient, Castiel became agitated. "You're not listening. A cupid had gone rogue and we have to stop him before he kills again."

Fiona sighed and shrugged. "Okay. Okay, let me get changed then we'll go hunt down Cupid."

"I'll call Ziva and have her meet us at the restaurant," Dean said as he pulled his cell phone out and brought up his phone book. Catching his younger brother's look, he said, "What? It's a cover."

"Right," Sam replied with a smirk. "Double date," he said, as though it were obvious. "Cause breakfast and lunch wasn't enough."

Dean paused before he went to hit the 'call' button and dial Ziva's number. "Something you want to say, Sammy?"

"Just wondering what's going on with you," Sam said, quickly, not wanting to say what he was really thinking.

* * *

><p>Ziva could barely hear her cell phone ringing over the sounds of the bar brawl going on around her. She answered the call while simultaneously elbowing a huge biker in the abdomen before knocking his to the ground with a well-aimed kick to the knee. "Dean, I am a little busy at the moment!" she said, loudly over the din.<p>

"_Are you okay? Sounds like a pretty bad fight,"_ Dean said over the phone.

"Nothing I can't handle," Ziva assured him. After getting the address, she hung up the phone and ducked just as a beer bottle went sailing over her head. Without a moment's hesitation, she made her way through the sea of violence and out the back door just as the police arrived through the front.

* * *

><p>Arriving behind the restaurant just as Sam and Dean were coming out the back followed by Fiona, Ziva looked around, fervently. "Where is he?"<p>

"Where's who?" Sam asked, suddenly feeling a bit nervous at the eager look in Ziva's eye. He knew that look well, since Dean often had the same one when he was itching to throw down with something or someone.

But before Ziva could reply, she felt someone grab her in a bear-hug from behind. Reacting on instinct, she headbutted her attacker and even though it felt like her head had just collided with a brick wall, the attacker let go and Ziva quickly tackled him to the ground. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded of the naked man now lying on the ground.

"Ziva, hey," Dean said, quickly as he and Castiel pulled her off. Looking as Cupid got to his feet, Dean tried to think of anything else other than his hands on Ziva's body. Especially the way his hand was right on her breast…

"No wonder Heaven wanted you and Dean paired together," Cupid said, looking warily at Ziva David. "Talk about perfect couples."

"Wait a second," Dean said, the original problem forgotten for the moment. "What the hell do you mean _Heaven_ wanted us together?" he asked, indicating himself and Ziva.

Cupid still looked nervous, but when he saw that Castiel had a firm hold on Ziva, he said, "You and Ziva are soul mates. Two people so perfectly matched that they'd find themselves through anything." Looking at Sam and Fiona, he added, "And you two—Your destinies have been intertwined for millennia."

"Come again?" Dean questioned, looking from his best friend to his brother. But then it started to make sense. Lilith was the first demon—the first human soul twisted by Lucifer-and Fiona had been possessed by Lilith nearly 9 months ago.

"Oh, and your parents!" Cupid went on, ignoring Dean's glare. "I mean, I didn't fix them up personally, but the union of John Winchester and Mary Campbell? _Very_ big deal upstairs. Top priority arrangement."

Dean didn't say anything.

He _couldn't_ say or hear anything. His mouth was dry and all he could hear was his heart beating faster and faster. He heard a savage growl and found himself suddenly on the ground, Sam and Castiel on top of him.

Dean felt his heart rate slowly return to normal and he saw Ziva lying unconscious on the ground next to Fiona who suddenly looked like he felt. "We need to get out of here," Dean managed to say, finally.

* * *

><p>As if killer couples and Cupids weren't strange enough, when Sam and Dean got back to their motel room—Fiona and Ziva were at a hotel across town—the Winchesters found Anna and Gabriel waiting for them.<p>

Gabriel was sitting on the bed Dean had been sleeping in and the covers were heavily littered with candy wrappers.

"That stuff will rot your teeth, you know," Dean said as he closed the motel door.

"And a happy Valentine's to you," Gabriel replied, toasting the two hunters with the last of his candy bar.

Sam sat down on his own bed and asked, "So what are you guys doing here, anyway?"

Anna shot a glare at Gabriel who was still stuffing his face with candy before looking back at Dean and Sam. "Famine's in town."

"Famine?" Sam repeated, feeling his stomach sink. "The Horseman?" But suddenly, he felt shaky and he could feel his blood pounding in his veins.

"Sammy?" Dean said, going to his brother and putting a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Hey, come on, Sam."

"You gotta help me, Dean," Sam said, looking his brother in the eye. "I need…"

Dean's heart sank as he saw the look in Sam's eyes. Without Fiona, Sam was starting to hunger for demon blood. Dean straightened up and turned to the two angels. "Anna, go bring Fi and Ziva here."

"Dean, no," Sam said, insistently. He was becoming feverish and his heart rate was getting faster. The last thing he needed right now was dealing with his desire for Fiona on top of his thirst for demon blood.

But being the big brother that he was, Dean was already ahead of Sam's line of thought and grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his duffel before helping Sam into the bathroom and getting him settled on the floor and cuffing him to the pipes under the sink.

"You'll be okay, Sammy," Dean assured his younger brother. "Promise." Straightening up when he heard the sound of wings behind him, Dean turned and saw Anna with Ziva and Fiona. He locked the bathroom door before closing it and turned to Fiona. "Fiver, stay here and do _not_ go in the bathroom. Just… keep talking to Sam through the door, okay?"

Fiona nodded, knowing that she couldn't be in the same room as Sam right now. "Got it," she replied, simply.

Turning to Castiel and Gabriel, Dean wished that there was someone else who could back Fiona up, but he needed Ziva and Anna with him. "Let's go," Dean said quickly, heading out the door and locking it behind him.

"So what's your poison, Cas?" Gabriel asked before conjuring up a new candy bar and opening it.

Castiel seemed nervous at the thought, but finally replied, "Hamburgers."

"Done and done, little bro," Gabriel replied, snapping his fingers and making a huge platter of burgers appear on the dresser.

* * *

><p>As the trio headed to the other side of town where Anna had tracked Famine to, Dean was grateful that the angel was in the passenger seat, rather than Ziva.<p>

"It'll be okay, Dean," Anna assured the anxious hunter after the 10th time he'd looked in the rearview mirror in 5 minutes.

"How? How is this going to be okay?" Dean demanded to know. All he wanted to do was pull the car over, crawl in the backseat with Ziva and let her ride him until he begged for mercy or died of heart failure—whichever came first.

"Look, we'll go get the ring and it'll be over, okay?" Anna replied, calmly. She didn't like the current plan but she was the only angel who wouldn't be affected by Famine, so she had to go along with it.

When they reached the restaurant where the Horseman was stationed, parking in the field nearby, Dean looked at the parking lot where several demons were milling about. "Demons," he said, dismally. Looking at his companions, he asked, "Any ideas?"

But Ziva was already out of the car, grabbing her knives and guns from the trunk before striding briskly towards the front door.

Dean was out just as quick, but as he watched his girlfriend fight her way through the crowds of demons, he started wondering if Ziva really needed back-up.

* * *

><p>With Gabriel and Castiel both immersed in their respective obsessions, neither angel was prepared when a pair of demons broke into the motel room.<p>

Fiona tried grabbing for the shotgun in her bag but before she could get a shot off, she found herself thrown from the wheelchair and onto the floor. "Sam!" she shouted, urgently. "Help!"

"Oh, don't bother calling for help," said a familiar voice.

Fi managed to turn over onto her back and she looked up to see Ruby standing over her. "What are you doing here?"

"How could I resist?" Ruby laughed, watching as Fiona tried to pull herself up onto the bed. Throwing Fiona across the room, she said, "We're going to take this nice and slow."

"You got that right," Sam said, coming out of the bathroom, the broken handcuffs still around his wrists. He grabbed Ruby and threw her against the TV and quickly pulled out his knife, cutting Ruby's neck and gulping her blood as fast as he could before plunging the knife into her heart.

Fiona looked on, horrified, as she watched Sam kill the other demon before turning back to Fiona.

In that moment, Fiona found herself scared to death, but at the same time, she wanted Sam to rip her clothes off and screw her brains out.

His craving for demon blood satisfied, Sam picked Fiona up and threw her onto the bed before straddling her as he pulled his shirt off and unzipping his jeans. At the same time, Fiona undid her own pants before Sam yanked her shirt off and tossed her bra across the room.

* * *

><p>The demons protecting Famine had been expecting Dean—had even expected the angel as well—but they hadn't counted on Ziva David.<p>

Ziva fought like a one-woman army—killing any demon that was foolish enough to come near her.

"Stop!" Famine ordered as the last few demons started towards Ziva. He directed the electric wheelchair he sat in towards the Mossad officer/NCIS agent and smiled as he studied her. "Did that feel good? Killing all those demons? The chance to embrace your true self with nothing to hold you back." He studied Ziva a moment, utterly fascinated. "Such a strange thing to be hungry for…"

But before Famine could say anything else, Ziva stepped forward, pulling out her favorite knife and sliced off the Horseman's hand. The demons—rather than making a run for it—charged Ziva, each meeting a bloody demise. When the room was empty except for herself, Ziva looked around at the carnage she'd wrought.

"Ziva?" Dean said, cautiously, as he came in. To his grateful surprise, he didn't feel the rush of passion as she threw her arms around him. "It's okay," he said, holding her as she trembled as she came down from the adrenaline rush. "I've got you."

* * *

><p>The drive to Bobby's house was long and mostly spent in silence.<p>

Fiona was exhausted from the wild sex with Sam and slept in the backseat while Sam sat in the passenger seat and Dean drove. "How're Gabriel and Cas?" Dean finally asked, resolutely not looking at his brother.

"They're fine," Sam replied, grateful that Dean was talking again. "No lasting cravings for Cas, at least."

"Good," Dean muttered, not wanting to say what he was really thinking. "And Ruby?"

"Dead," Sam reported, quietly. After a while, he sighed and said, "Dean, I didn't want to—"

"Don't, Sam," Dean said, his voice harsher than he'd meant. "Not right now," he added, softening his tone.

Sam knew that Dean was pissed about the demon blood. Probably even more pissed that Castiel and Gabriel had failed to do anything about the situation. And Sam also knew that he was in for a long, hard detoxing period in the panic room. And truth be told, he hated himself for giving in to his hunger. But hearing Fiona shifting slightly in her sleep, he wondered is she'd forgive him for his actions. "Dean, it wasn't me," Sam tried again, looking at his brother. "You know that, right?"

"I know," Dean nodded. After a while, he added, "I've always been jealous of you, you know?" He caught Sam's curious look and went on. "That whole normal life thing? I think that's why I was so hungry for Ziva. 'Cause for the first time in my life… I've got a chance at it, you know?"

Sam didn't say anything, but he wondered if that was the reason he wanted to be with Fiona so badly.

* * *

><p>When Fiona woke up in the back of the Impala late that night, she thought at first she was dreaming. Especially when she realized that she feel <em>and<em> move her legs again. She got out of the car and just stood for a few seconds, reveling in the moment.

"I asked Dean why Gabriel or Cas didn't do that right away," Anna said, walking into view. When Fi looked confused, Anna smiled. "Healing you… and Bobby."

"I guess I got used to it," Fiona replied, shrugging, as she walked around the Impala. "I felt like it was my punishment for letting Lucifer out."

Anna could understand Fiona's feelings. But she also knew that guilt could sometimes confuse things. "I want to help, Fiona."

Looking at her legs, Fiona smiled and looked back up at the redheaded angel. "You have."


	23. Dark Side of the Moon

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I apologize if there's a touch of confusion with this chapter. I did my best to make sure it was easy to tell when the scene flips from Sam and Dean's Excellent Adventure through Heaven and what's going on back on Earth.

Chapter 23

* * *

><p><em>Dark Side of the Moon<em>

* * *

><p>The steady sound of Fiona's sneakers hitting the pavement matched the quick pace of her breathing and heartbeat.<p>

It had been so long since she'd last gone for a run but thanks to Anna, it was if Fiona's injuries had never happened.

Of course the early morning runs were just part of what had changed lately.

Sam and Fi had taken to getting their own separate motel room since the past week they'd been getting more and more wild and crazy during sex and Dean was ready to start shooting if they all kept sleeping in the same room.

Slowing to a jog when she was about a mile away from the motel, Fiona suddenly felt a sick clenching in her stomach. It was the same feeling that she'd had more than two years ago when—unbeknownst to her at the time—Sam had been stabbed to death.

Kicking it into gear, Fiona raced towards the motel, almost getting run down as a pick-up truck careened out of the parking lot.

Getting to Dean's room, Fiona stopped dead and it was as if the entire world came to a screeching halt.

Sam and Dean both lay on the beds; face up, chests torn open by shotgun blasts. There was blood spatter on the headboards and marks on the walls from stray buckshot.

Fiona numbly entered the room, stopping when she kicked something on the ground. Bending down, she picked up Dean's gun and slowly sat down on the nearest bed. Looking from Dean to Sam, tears filled her eyes and she started to cry.

* * *

><p>It was one of the strangest dreams Dean had ever had.<p>

It was also one of the strongest memories he had.

Dean sat in a plastic chair and watched a much younger version of his father pacing anxiously. After a while, John stopped and looked at Dean. "We're waiting for your new baby brother, Dean," he said with a smile.

At first the statement seemed to come out of nowhere, but then Dean remembered asking his father what they were waiting for.

"Mr. Winchester?" A nurse said as she came out of the room. "You and your son can come in now."

Dean followed his father and the two went into the hospital room where Mary lay in bed, holding a tiny baby Sam.

And suddenly, Dean found himself sitting behind the wheel of the Impala on a dark road. "Okay…" he said, looking around. "What the hell is going on?"

"_Not Hell,"_ Castiel's voice said from the car's radio. _"Heaven."_

"Cas?" Dean said, not sure what was going on? "What are you talking about? Why am I in Heaven?"

"_Dean?"_ It was Fiona speaking this time and she sounded frantic. _"Please tell me you can hear me!"_

"I hear you," Dean assured her. He heard her sigh of relief and asked, "Why are you and Cas poking around in my dream?"

"_Listen to me very carefully,"_ Castiel replied, quickly. _"This _isn't_ a dream."_

But if it wasn't a dream, then…? Dean didn't like the alternative but holding out that maybe it was something else, he asked, "Then what is it?"

"_You're dead,"_ Fiona said, a catch in her voice. _"Look, Castiel and I don't have a whole lot of time. He's doing this spell, but it's difficult to maintain. Where are you?"_

Dean looked around but didn't see anything to identify where he was specifically. "I-I don't know, it's just a road."

"_Okay, follow it,"_ Fiona instructed. _"It should lead you to Sam. When you find him, try to contact us. Cas will be waiting for you."_

The signal cut out and Dean started the Impala and headed down the road hopefully finding Sam along the way.

* * *

><p><em>Some Hours Earlier…<em>

After a few minutes of trying to wrap her head around what had happened, Fiona finally pulled out her cell phone and dialed Bobby's number. It took a few moments for the older hunter to pick up and when he did, Fi didn't know what to say. "Bobby," she said, finally, her voice choked with sobs.

"Fiona?" Bobby said, concern and worry thick in his tone. "What's wrong?"

"They're dead," Fi managed to get out. "I got back from a run and… I-I found them." She was sobbing openly now and all she heard through her cloud of thoughts was 'stay there' and '3 hours'. Hanging up the phone, she wished her father was there. She didn't want to be alone with Sam and Dean, but she couldn't bring herself to leave the room.

Going to the table where Dean had set up his own computer, Fiona tried to think. She had to find out who killed Sam and Dean. She'd only caught part of the plate number but she'd seen a couple bumper stickers on the tailgate of the truck.

But before she could start up the computer, Fi's phone rang and she sat down as she saw the name on the caller ID.

"I'm on my way, Fiona," Gibbs assured her. "Got a flight to South Dakota and I'm leaving for the airport right now."

"Bobby called you," Fi deduced, trying not to start crying again.

"I'll be there in less than two hours," Gibbs promised. "Just hold on, okay?"

"Hurry," Fiona said, ending the call. But suddenly, she had a brilliant idea. Calling Abby, she didn't wait for the forensic scientist to say anything before she said, "Abby, I need a trace on a vehicle."

* * *

><p>Up in Heaven, Dean finally found the end of the road which just happened to be a two story home painted a nondescript blue and gray. It didn't take long for him to recognize the house. Hell, he'd been there often enough lately. But the house didn't look as… plain as it did these days. Flower gardens were blooming under the windows and the paint job was new.<p>

Getting out of the car, Dean walked up to the house and stopped short when a woman with red hair opened the door, giving him a smile.

"Well, it's about time, Dean," Shannon Gibbs said as she let Dean inside. "Sam's down in the basement. But you already knew that, didn't you?" Seeing that Dean looked confused, Shannon laughed and led the young man into the living room and indicated that he should sit down. Looking around the room, she went on, "You see what you want to in Heaven. The best times of your life. For me it was being with Kelly and Jethro in this house."

Dean thought about that for a while. But after a few moments, he went down to the basement where he found Kelly, Fiona, Sam, and his younger self under the boat frame that took up most of the space.

Kelly was looking at the others and Dean had to stifle a laugh at how cramped grown-up Sam was as she sat with his back to him. On the contrary, Dean was also amazed at how short he'd been as a kid.

As Kelly gave her friends their nicknames, Dean thought about how strange it had been that Sam was nicknamed 'Hazel'. But maybe it wasn't so strange. Hazel hadn't been the strongest, but he had the heart. He risked his life over and over for the sake of his brother and the other rabbits.

Dean could relate to that. As he inadvertently creaked the stairs, he watched Sam jump to his feet and come out from under the boat frame. "Hey, Sammy."

"Dean?" Sam said, looking confused. "What are you doing in my dream?"

x

"Wow," Sam said as he and Dean stood in the living room a few minutes later. Dean had just explained what was going on and now Sam was trying to think of what the next step should be. "So what do we do now?"

Dean wasn't quite sure, but he was spared from having to reply when the TV suddenly flicked on and Castiel appeared. "Cas?" Dean said, going over to the TV. "I found Sam."

"Good," Castiel said, quickly. "Listen, I need you to follow the road. It's called the Axis Mundi. It's a path that runs through Heaven. In order to get back you need to find an angel-"

"No offense, man," Dean said, wanting to do nothing more than get back to Earth. "But we're kinda ass-full of angels."

"It's not a question or a debate," Cas snapped, irritably. "Celeste is one of God's favored angels. Find her. She'll lead you to the Garden where you'll find an angel named Joshua."

"And what's so special about Joshua?" Sam wanted to know.

"The rumor has it, he talks to God," Cas went on. "And if you can find him, maybe we can find out what God has been saying."

When the TV shut off, Sam and Dean headed outside, but stopped when they saw that what had been a road of two-lane asphalt was now an overgrown forest. Turning back to the house, they began searching for any clue as to where to find the road next.

* * *

><p>When Gibbs got to the motel, he was shocked that Fiona wasn't falling apart. But when he noticed the three angels in the room, he just nodded.<p>

"Bobby's still a couple hours out," Fiona said as she looked over at Sam and Dean. She tried not to think about the fact that they were dead, but being in the room with them, the reality was impossible to ignore. "Castiel and Anna are going to keep an eye on things here."

"Why can't they just bring them back?" Gibbs asked, as though it were the most obvious question.

"Castiel and I can't return to Heaven," Anna explained as she stood, arms crossed. "And if Gabriel returns, it'll just cause even more trouble."

"There are a few angels who will be able to help," Castiel added. "With any luck, Sam and Dean should be fine."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes as he took a few steps towards Castiel. The angel wisely backed up under the intense blue-eyes stare from the NCIS Senior Special Agent. "I don't want to hear 'should be'," Gibbs said, and even though his voice was low and even, he meant business.

"This is not an entirely worked out plan," Cas explained, wishing Gibbs would stop staring at him. "I'm… making this up as I go."

Gibbs contemplated headslapping the angel of the lord, but set the thought aside for later when his phone rang. Glancing at the ID, he flipped the phone open and said, "What do ya got, Abbs?"

"I managed to track the truck Fiona saw to a bar in North Dakota," Abby reported. "I called the local police with a BOLO and they're holding Walter Vincent and Roy Harris on murder charges."

"Good work, Abby," Gibbs replied, wondering what to do about the two idiots now. "Keep me posted."

"You got it, Gibbs," Abby promised, cheerfully.

Gibbs looked over at Fiona who looked eager to get her revenge and debated on telling her about the two hunters. But at the same time, he fully understood getting payback on someone who had hurt your family.

On the other hand, Gibbs figured that Bobby Singer might want in on the action as well.

* * *

><p>The Axis Mundi had taken Sam and Dean to Kansas and Arizona before finally putting them outside an abandoned house in Indiana.<p>

Dean wasn't sure whose memory it was at first, but as he thought about it, he turned to Sam who didn't want to look at him. "This?" Dean asked, dawning realization coming over him. "This is the night you ditched us for Stanford, isn't it?" Sam didn't reply and Dean couldn't help but feel hurt at the idea that this was a good memory for his brother.

But the more he thought about it, Dean realized that his resentment was more towards himself than at Sam. Dean had been proud that Sam had scored a full ride to college. And while he felt hurt that his brother was leaving, he also knew that it was an opportunity that Sam had dreamt about for years. It was a chance at a real life and Sam had jumped in head first.

"Pssst!"

Sam and Dean turned and found that they were suddenly in the middle of a patch of dense brush, facing a figure dressed as a Mexican wrestler.

"This way! Hurry!" the figure said, leading the brothers to a decrepit looking shack before drawing some sort of sigil on the door. Once inside, he ditched the costume and said, happily, "Buenos dias, bitches."

"Ash?" Sam said in surprise.

Ash clapped his hands twice and the lights came on. Looking at the Winchesters with a smile on his face, he said, "Welcome to my Blue Heaven."

Dean looked around as he and Sam joined the computer genius at the bar. "My God, the Roadhouse. It even smells the same."

"Bud, blood, and beer nuts," Ash replied, savoring the aroma. "Best smell in the world. "How about a cold one?"

"Sure," Sam said with a shrug. As he and Dean sat at the bar, he asked, "So how'd you know where to find us?"

Ash grinned at the question and downed his own beer in one go before answering. "See, Heaven's not just one place. It's more like a buttload of places all crammed together. Everyone gets a little slice of paradise. Some people share—special cases, like soul mates." After popping the top on a second beer, Ash went on. "Anyway… most people can't leave their own private Idahos."

"But you ain't 'most people'," Dean said with a smirk as he took a sip of his own beer.

"Nope," Ash confirmed. "They ain't got my skills. Hell, I have been all over: Johnny Cash, Andre the Giant… Einstein. Sam, that man can mix a White Russian." Seeing the astonished looks from Sam and Dean, he added, "The other day I even found Julia Child. Trust me… you never tasted anything so good in your life. A man could eat like a king in there."

"Julia Child?" Sam asked, amused. Somehow, Ash of the Mullet Haircut didn't seem like the type.

But Ash just grinned as he reached down and brought up his computer. "One of the friendlier angels hangs out in Julia's Heaven. The two of us hit it off pretty well, if you know what I mean," he added with a dirty grin.

"All this from a guy who used to sleep on a pool table," Dean said, still amazed at the situation.

"Yep, now what I'm dead, I'm livin', man," Ash said, happily. "Whole lot more."

"So, is this—?" Sam asked, pointing at the computer. "—how you knew we were here?"

Ash nodded, hitting a button on his rig. High-pitched sounds filled the room and he turned the sound off for a moment. "That's angels blabbin' Enochian. Okay? I'm fluent. I heard that you guys were up—of course I had to find you _again_."

"Again?" Dean asked, even though he couldn't remember being in Heaven before.

"This ain't the first time you've been here," Ash said, sounding more amused than anything. "I mean, you boys die more than anyone I have every met."

Sam and Dean were about respond to that but turned when the front door opened and a woman in her 30's strolled in. She had wavy blonde hair, amazing legs, and Dean was so glad that Ziva wasn't there to see him studying the woman's rack.

"Got a cold brew for a thirsty bitch with wings?" The woman asked with a grin. Catching the beer Ash threw at her, she sat at the bar, tossing her hair over her shoulder while looking at Dean. "So you're Dean Winchester, huh?"

Sam and Dean both looked at each other, then at the angel sitting at the bar, and then at Ash. "Uh, dude…?" Dean asked, nodding to the blonde woman. "Friend of yours?"

"More than a friend sometimes," the woman replied, finishing off her beer and crushing the can with one hand. "You can call me Celeste."

Sam and Dean exchanged another hasty look before Sam said, "We've been looking for you."

"Same here," Celeste replied as Ash poured her a shot of tequila. "Been trying to keep you off the angel radar since Zachariah wants both your asses for lunch."

* * *

><p>When Bobby showed up at the hotel room with Ellen, Jo, and Rufus in tow, he stopped dead at the sight of the Winchesters lying dead on the two beds in the room. Looking at Fiona, he asked, "Don't you think we should do something about the boys before someone calls the cops?"<p>

"Already got it covered," Gibbs promised. He didn't go into details, but he figured that didn't need to.

"Okay," Bobby said, slowly. He seemed a bit dubious, but figured that since Gibbs was an actual federal agent, he was probably able to pull off stuff that even Bobby would have trouble with.

"So what are we doing here, then?" Rufus asked, impatiently. "Let's hunt those two knuckleheads down."

"You know where Walt and Roy are?" Ellen asked, coolly. If those two dumbass hunters thought they could kill Sam and Dean and get away with it, they were dead wrong. Even Jo looked eager for some payback.

"They're being held in the county jail on murder charges," Fiona reported, grabbing her duffel and looking at the other hunters before turning to Gibbs. "You mind keeping an eye on the boys?"

Gibbs nodded silently and gave his goddaughter a hug. "Take care."

"You know me," Fiona replied with a smirk Dean would have been proud of. Looking at Jo, Ellen, Bobby, and Rufus. "Let's go."

xxxxx

The drive wasn't long at all thanks to Jo's driving and when they stopped outside the county courthouse later that evening, Rufus asked, "So what's the plan?"

Fiona hadn't exactly thought about that and as she felt her anger simmering just below the surface, she realized that going in guns blazing was probably a stupid move. But as she saw the sheriff walking in with his hand on another man's shoulder, she changed her mind. "Okay, handguns only," she instructed, getting out of the car.

"Fiona?" Ellen asked, looking uneasy. But she got out as well and followed the others inside the building.

Bobby went up to the sheriff and gave the man a nod. "Evening, Sheriff."

"Good evening," Sheriff Blake Hutchins said with a reciprocating nod. Looking at the rest of the group, he asked, "How can I help you folks?"

"You've got two guy who killed a couple friends of ours," Rufus replied, stepping forward. "We just want to have a little chat with them, that's all."

Hutchins frowned at that and straightened up. "Look, I'm gonna need you folks to leave. Now."

But no one moved except for Jo who stepped forward and gave the older man the best smile she could. "Look, sir… those two guys you're holding? They shot two brothers who are the closest thing I've got to siblings. My parents—" Jo pointed to her mother and Bobby. "—practically raised Sam and Dean. Fiona, here? Dean's her best friend and she was hoping to get a ring from Sam."

Hutchins looked back at the holding cells and then at the group standing before him. He could understand family loyalty. But he couldn't let these people just waltz in and take his prisoners. Unless… "Look, I want to help, honey. I do," he said, thinking on his feet. "But those two yahoos aren't going anywhere without a police escort."

Rufus caught the nod from the sheriff and a corner of his mouth tweaked into what might have been a smile. "Got it. Thanks for the help."

Outside, Rufus got behind the wheel of the Impala and headed for the nearest motel. After getting a couple rooms for the night, the 5 hunters gathered in a small diner nearby to discuss plans.

"So what's the plan?" Jo asked, curiously. "We go in after dark or what?"

"We don't need to go anywhere," Rufus said, smirking. "That sheriff is going to bring Roy and Walt right to us."

"And then what, genius?" Bobby asked, frowning.

"And then we get a little vengeance for what those two did to Sam and Dean," Fiona replied, coldly.

* * *

><p>While Sam and Ash looked for a shortcut to the Garden, Dean and Celeste sat together at a table, sharing a bottle of tequila.<p>

"Never thought I'd meet the infamous Dean Winchester in person," Celeste said with a smile, tossing back her 5th shot.

"Why's that?" Dean asked, curiously as he sipped his own glass.

Celeste shrugged and poured herself another glass. "Typically, I used to stay on Earth. My big thing is healing and my vessel owned a bar. It was a good spot to offer some comfort and healing. But then Zachariah told me God wanted to see me and once I was back up here I was grounded."

"That sucks," Dean replied, frowning. He remembered being on lockdown when his father went to work a job. "So what do you do up here, then?"

"Trying to work on getting the angelic factions to put aside their differences, mostly," Celeste replied. "Some angels are rooting for Lucifer, some want Michael to win, and some just don't care."

Dean hadn't known that Heaven was in the midst of a war, but thinking on the pulls from Heaven and Hell, it made sense. "So what about you? Whose side are you on?"

"Yours."

Dean hadn't actually been expecting that answer—he'd been hoping, certainly. "We're not exactly doing a stellar job."

Celeste gave Dean a warm smile and put a hand on his. "You're doing just fine. You haven't said 'yes' and you're still fighting. It's better than a lot of people would be in your shoes."

Dean wished that he could believe that but the truth was that he was wondering if it was worth fighting it. Sure, Team Free Will was growing, but what chance did they really stand against Heaven _and_ Hell?

"I think we found something," Sam said, looking over at Dean. When his brother turned towards him, he added, "Shortcut to the Garden."

Ash got up from his barstool and started using a piece of chalk to scrawl something that was part equation and part sigil. "All-access pass to the Magic Kingdom," he said, continuing to work.

"Yeah, but Zachariah's going to be watching all the roads to the Garden," Celeste pointed out. Looking from Sam and Dean, she said, "I'm coming with you."

"Look, it's really not necessary," Sam insisted. Celeste seemed cool and he didn't want her to get caught in any crossfire.

Celeste crossed her arms and studied the Winchesters with a raised eyebrow. "Did I ask a question? No. I'm going with you because I'd like to keep your asses in one piece. Capiche?"

"Stubborn, much?" Dean muttered to Sam who gave a small nod of agreement.

Straightening up, Ash turned to the brothers. "Ahh, gentlemen. I don't mean to be a downer, but I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

Dean didn't want to say what he was really thinking which was that he was sure Ash was right. But playing it off as casually as he could, he said, "Keep a sixer on ice for us."

Going through the door, Sam and Dean were surprised to find themselves in the basement of Fiona's townhouse. And Dean thought he was going to be sick when he saw Fiona straddling a naked Sam. "Dude!" Dean said, smacking his brother hard in the arm.

"Wait, why are we here?" Sam asked, looking from Dean to Celeste.

"Okay, guys, you gotta concentrate. Otherwise Heaven kinda does it's own thing," Celeste explained. But as she and the Winchesters turned to leave the basement, they found their path blocked by Zachariah who was flanked by two other angels.

"Hello, Celeste," Zachariah said with a smug smile. "Haven't seen you around lately. So whose Heaven were you hiding in?" Taking a step towards the other angel, he went on. "I mean, we checked all your old haunts."

"Julia Child," Celeste replied, flatly as she withdrew an angel sword. "Sam, Dean, get out of here. Get to the Garden."

"Dean, let's go," Sam said, grabbing his brother's upper arm.

"How dare you try to stop me?" Zachariah said as he watched the Winchester run up the stairs and out of sight. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"You think I don't remember?" Celeste said, keeping a firm grip on her blade, even though it was pointed towards the floor. "You and Lucifer were inseparable. Your big brother and you wanted to be just like him. And then Michael sent him to the cage and you wanted more than anything to get your brother back. You even resorted to manipulating prophecies to get Lucifer back topside."

"You don't know what it was like," Zachariah replied, his voice quiet, but full of malice. "You were God's favorite."

Celeste felt hurt by that but she didn't let it show. "His favorite daughter, maybe. But it had nothing to do with my loyalty to Him. He loved me because He knew that He could count on me to do the right thing. To heal and comfort His creations."

But the younger angel wasn't about to stand down. "So, what? We just wait for God to pull the plug? Shut down the Apocalypse?" Zachariah stared at Celeste in disbelief. "He's not coming in with a big save at the end."

Celeste knew this all too well. She even knew what would eventually happen with Lucifer. "God's waiting for Sam and Dean to do the right thing. For everyone." Raising her blade she headed for the stairs. "Don't try to follow. You won't like what happens."

* * *

><p>Roy and Walk couldn't believe they'd actually managed to break out of the jail. Their car had been put into impound so they'd made a run for it and finally found a cheap motel with an unlocked room which at first glance seemed to be empty. But when Roy flicked the lights on, he tried to shout a warning to Walt but was prevented by someone throwing an arm around his neck and putting him in a chokehold.<p>

The door was slammed shut and locked and Roy and Walt found themselves thrown onto the beds. Before they could get up, they found Bobby Singer and Rufus Turner aiming shotguns at them.

"You got 3 seconds to give us an extremely good reason _not_ to shoot you," Bobby said, gold fury etched in every line on his face. When the two hunters remained silent, Bobby shot Roy in the shoulder with a rock salt round. "I'll say again…" Bobby repeated, cocking the shotgun.

"Look, we weren't the only hunters gunning for the Winchesters," Roy pointed out. "Besides, Sam was the one who—"

"Whoops!" Rufus said with false remorse as he fired and hit Walt in the stomach with another rock salt round. "Damn, that trigger's sensitive."

"Sam didn't break the final seal," Fiona said as she tried to keep her calm. "So you just shot an innocent person. Someone I loved. So tell me why I shouldn't kill both of you right now."

"You want to kill us, do it," Walt snapped, angrily. "You don't give a shit what we have to say anyway."

"You're the boss," Fiona said, grabbing the shotgun loaded with the normal lead rounds and cocked it. "Any last words?"

But Roy and Walt said nothing and after a brief look at Bobby and Rufus, Fiona fired one shotgun blast into each of the two hunters who had coldly gunned down Sam and Dean.

* * *

><p>It took a moment or two to figure out why the Garden looked so familiar, but finally Dean remembered the field trip he gone on with Sam back in Cleveland, Ohio. Dean had been running interference between Sam and Dad for the past couple weeks and decided that he and Sam both needed a break. So when Sam's science teacher had asked Dean to act as a chaperone for the field trip, Dean had done so without a second thought.<p>

"Glad you boys could make it," said an older looking black man, standing near a potted plant.

"Joshua, I presume," Dean said, approaching the angel.

"Celeste told me you'd be along," Joshua replied with a smile. "I know what you're doing here. Why you've come to see me." His expression turned grim as he said, "But I can't help you. God doesn't believe that you need His help."

"What?" Dean said, shocked. "How could He think that? He's the only one who can stop all of this. We _need_ Him!"

But Joshua shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "No, you don't, Dean. All you need to stop the Apocalypse, you already have with you. You just need to see it." Noticing that Dean looked let down, the angel went on. "God saved you before. He sent you out of the danger zone when the seal broke. He got Fiona to the hospital and he brought Castiel back. And despite what both of you have done, you were both granted salvation in Heaven." With a shrug, he added. "It's more than He's intervened in a long time."

"Can we really stop it?" Sam asked, not sure he really believed they could anymore.

"Only He knows for certain," Joshua replied with another small shrug. "But I will say this—I'm rooting for you boys. And I have faith in you. As long as you stick together, I believe you can win."

* * *

><p>Gibbs had been sitting quietly at the table in the hotel room with Sam and Dean. Every now and then, he took sips from the coffee that archangel—Gabriel—had brought by.<p>

Ever since the death of James Brendon, Gibbs had felt like he'd inherited the position of godfather to Sam and Dean as well. Sure, the boys had Bobby Singer and Ellen Harvelle to look out for them, but Gibbs could still remember the boys when John would bring them by the house while working a case.

Before her death, Kelly had told her dad that she had a crush on Dean and that someday she'd marry him.

Gibbs hadn't liked the idea much, which explained why he was hesitant to give Dean the go ahead to date Ziva.

With all Ziva David had been through with her father and Mossad, she needed a more stable family. She needed to put down roots and demon hunting didn't really allow for that. But once she and Dean had started getting together, they seemed to become even stronger than they had ever been.

Thoughts of Ziva led to thoughts of Fiona, and Gibbs hoped that somehow Sam and Dean would be able to find their way back. Losing her mother hadn't affected Fiona too much, given her youth. But when she'd lost her father, she'd taken James' death hard.

If Fiona lost Sam for good, Gibbs didn't know if she'd be able to survive that.

Gibbs looked up when Sam suddenly sat up with a gasp. When Dean sat up as well, Gibbs set his coffee cup down and said, simply, "Welcome back."

"Gibbs?" Dean said, looking at his shirt which was ripped apart and bloodstained. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Get changed," Gibbs ordered. "I'll be back in a few."

* * *

><p>When the group reconvened at Bobby's house the following afternoon, Castiel seemed somehow lost. He'd had such hope that God could help but now he knew that God was another deadbeat father who had run out when his children needed help.<p>

Going to Dean, Cas pulled the amulet out of his pocket and held it out to the young hunter. "I don't need this anymore," he said, dejectedly, before winging out.

Dean looked down at the amulet Sam had given him for Christmas and rolled it over in his hands. It didn't matter that the amulet hadn't led Castiel to God. Somehow, the sight of it, or the weight of it against his shirt always reminded him of Sam—of his family. And to Dean, that mattered more than anything else in the world.


	24. You Can't Laugh Until You've Cried

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I wanted to make this a general, happy, lighthearted chapter. I really, _really_ did. But the angst came in and took over. But, there's plenty of humor at the front. There's also DrunkCas, some hurt/comfort, a one-night stand, and a bar fight, so a little something for everyone.

FYI: Bottom's Up is a real bar near my house that serves awesome burgers and the song is 'The Earring Song' by Gretchen Wilson.

Chapter 24

* * *

><p><em>You Can't Laugh Until You've Cried<em>

* * *

><p>Bottom's Up was a college bar, but even for a weeknight, it wasn't too busy when Sam, Dean, Fiona, and Ziva sat down at a table in the corner.<p>

After ordering a round of beers and two platters of the bar's famous wings, Dean looked at the ladies who seemed to be looking around anxiously. "Relax," Dean said, trying to cover his own nervousness. "Cas said he'd keep an eye out for any other hunters looking to take a shot at us."

Fiona didn't seem to be paying attention, though. Instead, her eye was drawn to the two young girls across the bar who had eyes only for Sam and Dean. Hearing her name, Fi turned back to Sam who was frowning slightly.

"You okay?" Sam asked, giving Fiona a worried look.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Fiona lied, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, the way you and Sammy have been going at each other like rabbits, I'm not surprised," Dean said laughing as he chased a bite of chicken wing with a swig of beer.

"Dean, how would you like it if I swore to never have sex with you again?" Ziva asked, casually, a devilish twinkle in her eye.

Dean choked on his beer and looked at Ziva, horror in his eyes. Looking at Fiona, he said, "Sorry."

"Apology accepted," Fiona replied, giving Ziva a high-five. But as she lowered her hand, Fi caught sight of the two female co-eds talking with one of the bartenders and pointing towards the Winchesters.

When the bartender brought over two more beers and placed them in front of Sam and Dean, Sam turned to see the young women smiling at him and giving him flirtatious smiles and waves. After looking as well, Dean grinned at his brother. "Chicks buying _us_ drinks. There's a twist for you, Sammy."

But Ziva and Fiona were not as amused. Moving as one, both ladies got up and headed straight for the two co-eds.

"I'm sorry," Ziva said, keeping her tone casual, even though her eyes were anything but. "But my friend and I would appreciate it if you did not flirt with our boyfriends."

The girls giggled and looked at the hunter and federal agent with a mix of amusement and pity. "You know," one of the girls said, smirking. "Maybe if you guys didn't look like a couple of old ladies, maybe you wouldn't feel so threatened."

"Yeah, totally," the other girl, a blonde, said, elbowing her friend. "I mean, my mom totally looks younger than both of you." Looking at Fi and Ziva's outfits, she added, "And where'd you buy your clothes? Bass Pro Shop?"

"Although the boots look like something on a discount rack at Sears," the first girl sneered.

"Better for kicking your scrawny ass," Fiona countered.

"So, is the boyfriend thing a cover?" The redhead asked, looking from Ziva and Fi to Sam and Dean. "I mean, you guys totally look like lesbians or something."

"Whoops," Ziva said, mockingly as she flicked a hand out, knocking over the redhead's drink, making it spill onto her dress and shoes.

"Do you know how much this outfit _cost_?" Red screeched as she jumped up, trying to wipe the liquid off.

"Not as much as that bad boob job, I hope," Fi said, looking amused. Eying the girl's breasts, she smirked as she said, "They're lopsided."

"They are NOT!" Red said, defensively.

"Yeah, well, they're still better than yours," Blondie snapped. "What'd you do, stick a couple balloons in there?"

Fiona laughed and undid the flannel shirt she was wearing, exposing her tank top. "Honey, these babies are 100% all natural."

"Unlike your nose," Ziva observed, noticing the barely visible scar on Blondie's face.

x

Across the room, Dean and Sam watched with trepidation as Fiona and Ziva went over to confront the two college girls. When the younger girls started raising their voices and the Fiona took off her flannel shirt, Dean had two conflicting thoughts running through his head. The first was 'Uh-oh, this could be trouble.' and the second was 'Cool! Catfight!'

As hunter and fed faced off against the two college girls, the radio started playing a country song. And as the music kicked in, the fight Dean had expected looked like it was about to begin.

'_Well, I finally found a sitter_

_Who'd stay late on Friday night_

_So I could do some dancing_

_Underneath them neon lights_

_Get out of the kitchen_

_Do a little catchin' up with my old man'_

_._

'_And I couldn't help but notice, girl_

_That you keep slinking by_

_Stealing his attention with a twinkle in your eye_

_You're causin' an involuntary clenching _

_Of the fingers on my hand_

'_So honey, move along and find_

_A place to park yourself while you still can_

_._

'_Don't make me take my earrings out_

'_Cause I'll show you what a catfight's all about_

_I'll throw you down and mop the floor_

_A man like mine's worth fighting for_

_Don't make me take my earrings out'_

For the Winchesters, it was different than watching Ziva and Fiona fighting demons. While Ziva was restrained, she still didn't hold back and when the other bar patrons started getting into the fight, Ziva was swift in taking down the biggest brawlers first and moving along to the others.

'_And I'll bet I'll spent an hour _

_At the bathroom vanity_

_Trying to turn a mom_

_Into a ballroom beauty queen_

_._

'_I don't want to mess it up_

_But trust me, honey, I ain't afraid to break a nail_

_Yeah, and I'd be glad to spend a night in jail_

_Oh, Hell!_

_._

'_So don't make me take my earrings out_

'_Cause I'll show you what a catfight's all about_

_If you come waltzin' by once more_

_I'll drag your butt right out the door_

_So don't make me take my earrings out'_

Fiona, on the other hand, was just lining them up and knocking them down until she caught a chair across the back.

Sam and Dean both jumped up and got in the middle of the brawl, extracting their respective girlfriends and getting them out to the Impala, heading down the street just as the police came from the opposite direction.

'_If you come waltzin' by once more_

_I'll throw you down and mop the floor_

_Drag your butt right out the door_

_A man like mine's worth fightin' for_

_So don't make me take my earrings out!'_

* * *

><p>The night ended with a visit to the emergency room which Fiona insisted was unnecessary, but given that she had recovered from being paralyzed only 2 weeks ago neither Sam nor Dean wanted to take any chances.<p>

So while Ziva got some quick stitches, Fiona got a full work-up, including a 32-hour hospital stay.

When the x-rays came back, Fiona was already in a hospital room, lying down with her right hand splinted.

The doctor—Grant Walter—looked at the small group as a whole for a moment before focusing on Fiona. "The good news, Ms. Brendon, is there's no damage to your spinal cord. The bad news is that your back is going to be badly bruised for a while. It's going to make moving around pretty painful."

"Doc, if the next sentance out of your mouth involve the word 'wheelchair' I'm gonna start swinging," Fiona promised.

But Dr. Walter just smiled and nodded in understanding. "Okay, I won't say it," he replied. "But if you're going to be doing any serious moving around, I'd recommend it. I will tell you that for at least a couple days, bed and painkillers are going to be your two best friends."

"You're talking the good drugs, right?" Dean said, giving Fiona a look.

"Dean, no," Fiona butted in, shaking her head. "That's a bad idea and you know it."

Sam knew what Fiona was thinking and he shook his head as well. When Fiona was on the really, _really_ good painkillers, she either slept for hours on end or she got extremely loopy and horny. And if Fi was supposed to be on bed rest, drugs weren't going to help one iota.

* * *

><p>While Sam stayed with Fiona in the hospital, Dean and Ziva headed to the local shopping center for what Dean had termed 'Fiona Bed Rest Supplies' which apparently greatly differed from 'Winchester Bed Rest Supplies'. For the boys, only three things were needed: beer, whatever prescriptions they'd been given by the doctors, and—something Dean hated getting, but helped, nonetheless—various fruit juices. Sam liked apple and the fruitveggie juice blends. For Dean it was always either orange or red grapefruit.

Of course, Fiona couldn't do the citrus juices. Every time she did, she'd break out in hives. It wasn't a problem if the juices were mixed into something—like the orange glazed chicken she'd had in her Chinese take-out last week—but straight up, it wasn't pretty.

So for Fi it was apple juice—and it had to be Nantucket Nectar brand for some weird-ass reason—bourbon, over-the-counter painkillers, chips, beer, and candy bars.

"You've done this before, then?" Ziva asked as Dean grabbed a couple packs of Double-Stuff Oreos before heading for the check-out.

"Last year," Dean replied, as the cashier rang up his purchases. "When Fi's active, she doesn't eat a whole lot. But when she's down, she gets the munchies."

On the way back to the motel, Ziva could tell that Dean's mind was elsewhere. And it didn't take a genius to figure out where.

Dean was obviously thinking about the last time when Fiona had been confined to bed—right after stabbing herself and ending up paralyzed. No doubt he was also thinking about what could have happened if Fi had been hit harder. She could have ended up in the wheelchair again.

Once in the motel room, Ziva put the juice bottles and beer in the fridge and left the chips and cookies on the counter. It was a nicer room than she'd been in before, but she still couldn't imagine living out of motels forever. Finally having stability in her life, Ziva couldn't imagine uprooting herself again, even if it did mean being with Dean all the time.

* * *

><p>Fiona couldn't sleep.<p>

Her back ached and her hand throbbed. Thankfully the hand injury was a minor sprain caused by an improperly thrown punch on her part.

Sam had gone to get a cup of coffee and Fiona was left to her thoughts.

Specifically the first few days after waking up in Portsmouth Naval Hospital after the stabbing incident with Lilith. The doctors telling her the blade of the knife had hit her spinal cord… that she was paralyzed. At first, she'd wondered how the hell she could live her life, especially when the doctors told her what she'd have to do to get by.

But at least this time, Fiona knew that—if she so chose—she could just get up and walk out of the hospital.

Just… not right now, she realized as she tried to shift position causing the pain in her back to flare up.

"Take the drugs, honey," an older nurse said, sternly as she came into the room. "Trust me, you'll feel a lot better."

Fiona thought about resisting but finally she sighed. "Okay. Load me up." But when the nurse turned to leave the room, Fi stopped her. "Oh, hey. Do NOT—under _any_ circumstances—let my boyfriend and his brother anywhere near me with a camera phone, okay?"

* * *

><p>While Sam, Dean, and Fiona dealt with their own drama along with Ziva, Castiel was in the midst of his own problems.<p>

So many times watching Dean drinking from this bottle of liquor or that one, Castiel has noticed that the various spirits seem to help the hunter's emotional pain.

It all began with a liquor store that had closed for the night.

Castiel appeared inside and disabled the security alarms before walking past the shelves. Whiskey, scotch, rum, vodka… He starts on the whiskey first. It was a drink that Dean consumed on a regular basis—although perhaps not as often in past months. Cas was sure that Ziva David had something to do with that. She seemed to be bringing Dean out of the wreckage of what he'd been after returning from Hell.

Next to the whiskey was bourbon which Castiel knew was Fiona's preferred libation. It was strong, and seemed to warm him from the inside out. Cas swiftly downed several bottles before moving down the line.

He enjoyed the rums which reminded him of Heaven for some reason. Vodka was next—although he found it a little strong on its own, it was quite refreshing.

"Try this," Gabriel said, holding out an open bottle to his brother.

Castiel was quite inebriated at this point and eyed the bottle Gabriel held out to him. But his desire for more alcohol won out over skepticism and he drank deeply. It was smooth and reminded him of summer orchards and ripe peaches. He had found his drink. Dean had his whiskey, Fiona had her bourbon, Sam had his beer, and now Castiel had his—he looked at the label. Peach schnapps. Castiel nodded approvingly and downed the rest of the bottle.

Gabriel watched the younger angel decimate another 20 bottles of various liquors—keeping Cas away from gin and the cheaper tequilas—and finally winged him out of the store and to the motel room where Fiona was lying in bed, asleep, although some old movie was still playing on TV.

"What are we doing here?" Castiel slurred as he collapsed on the bed.

"Just sleep it off," Gabriel said, watching his brother roll onto his side and start snoring. Looking at the drunk angel, Gabriel sighed. He hated seeing Cas like this. But the younger angel wasn't great with emotional turmoil so it was hardly surprising. Hearing Cas's cell phone ringing, Gabriel grabbed it, although neither angel nor hunter even stirred. Stepping outside, the archangel turned the phone on and said, "Sam, what can I do for you?"

"Gabriel?" Sam said, sounding puzzled. "Why do you have Castiel's phone?"

"Because my little bro is passed out drunk in your motel room," Gabriel replied. "How can I help?"

Sam was quiet for a moment and then began filling the Trickster in on what was going on Blue Earth, Minnesota. "Sound like anything you know about?"

"Leah Gideon?" Gabriel repeated, running through the list of prophets in his head. "She's not a prophet. Trust me—I have the master list memorized."

"Then what is she?" Sam asked, still confused.

Hearing movement from inside the room, Gabriel thought for a second and then said, "Get back to you on that."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Castiel felt like his head was going to explode, He groaned and rolled over, surprised when he heard Fiona groan next to him. Frowning at the young woman lying on her back, he gently ran a hand over the bruises, feeling Fi's muscles tense as he did so.<p>

Something in Castiel's head came up—some memory of Jimmy Novak's. A memory of Jimmy running his hands over a woman's back and her moaning with pleasure. Cas wasn't sure why he was trying it, but he put his hands on Fiona's back, gently massaging the taut muscles.

At first, Fiona groaned at the pain. But the pain receded quickly and she gave a sigh of relief. "God, Sam, I love the shit out of you right now." When the hands stopped, Fi opened her eyes wide and rolled over, her jaw dropping as she saw Castiel in bed with her. "Oh, crap! Cas! What the hell?" she shouted, pulling up the blankets to cover herself up. Looking mortified, she pressed her hands to her mouth. "Tell me we didn't."

"We didn't what?" Castiel asked, confused. But after a moment, he nodded. "Yes, we did engage in sexual relations."

Fi brought her knees up to her chest and dropped her head on top of them. "I told Dean and Sam to keep me off the good stuff… because _this_—" she gestured to Castiel who seemed to take offense. "—is what happens!" Slowly getting out of the bed and getting dressed, she again cursed Sam and Dean.

She hadn't always been nutsy on painkillers. But once she got into her 20's, Vicodin, Percocet, and Demerol made her unbelievably loopy and her hormones went haywire and made her want to screw whoever happened to be around. That was if she didn't sleep 24/7.

* * *

><p>Sam hadn't been expecting the motel door to open with a bang. He jumped and grabbed for his gun, almost ready to shoot by the time he realized that it was Castiel staggering into the room. "Gabriel relayed your message," he slurred, stumbling towards Sam. "It was long, your message. And I find the sound of his voice grating."<p>

Sam frowned at Cas, startled to see the fallen angel even more disheveled than usual. "What's wrong with you?" But another few moments of watching Castiel, it made sense. "Are you… drunk?"

"No!" Cas snapped, defensively. But deciding that admitting it would be better, he amended, "Yes."

"What the hell happened to you?" Sam asked, not quite sure how Cas had gotten so drunk so fast. And yet, for some reason, he wondered if Castiel was on his first bender or his second.

"I found a liquor store," Cas replied, wishing he hadn't gone on a second drinking binge. But the fuzziness he felt now was far better than the hopelessness he felt when he sobered up.

"And?" Sam asked, wondering how much booze the angel had consumed.

"And I drank it!" Cas snapped, irritably. "Why do you need?"

"Well, Gabriel said that Leah's not a real prophet," Sam replied as Cas made his way to the sofa and sat down. "But beyond that, we've got nothing."

"Good for you," Cas muttered, sarcastically. "Why is it that lately you and your brother can't do anything without my help. I'm useless."

Sam knew enough from Dean's drinking binges to not take anything Cas said personally. "Look, Gabriel wasn't sure what was going on here. There've been these massive demon attacks, but he said the Enochian exorcism ritual the townspeople have been using was fake."

That news seemed to bring Castiel to attention. "The Whore of Babylon," he said, quickly. Standing up, he muttered, "And I thought waking up next to Fiona this morning was the worst part of my day."

"Wait, what?" Sam said, not sure he heard Cas correctly. "You and Fi…"

"She was just as surprised as I was," Cas muttered, wishing he could ignore the look of pain and betrayal on Sam's face.

* * *

><p><em>2 Days Later<em>

When Dean pulled up to the driveway of Fiona's old townhouse, he knew he wasn't ready for what he had to do.

The Whore of Babylon had been killed by him, even though Cas had insisted that the demon could only be killed by a true servant of Heaven.

Dean hated to think what that meant, but also knew that he'd postponed the inevitable long enough. Too many people had died because of his stubbornness.

Knocking on the front door, Dean waited until the door opened and Ziva appeared looking puzzled.

For the longest time, Dean couldn't understand what it was about Ziva David that he loved so much.

Sure, she was smokin' hot, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. When it came to looks, Ziva had the whole package: amazing legs, hair so soft that Dean couldn't stop running his hands through it when the two of them made love, and her eyes…

Those eyes the color of milk chocolate that showed—more than anything else—what mood she was in. Dean could remember seeing the pain and hurt in her eyes when she told him about her sister and killing her half-brother to save Gibbs. But when Ziva was happy, her eyes had a sparkle in them that seemed to light up her whole face, even if she wasn't actually smiling at the time.

But more than Ziva's beauty, it was her heart, soul, and mind that had won Dean Winchester over. She could be as stubborn as him, and at the same time, she could be as soft and comforting as a warm bed after a long hunt. She was everything Dean had been missing and everything he wanted.

"Are you alright, Dean?" Ziva asked, tentatively, as she studied Dean. She knew that he wasn't okay—anyone with eyes could see that. But she wanted to hear him say it. She wanted him to confide in her. To know that he could trust her with anything.

"Not really," Dean said, hesitantly. "Ziva, you… Next to Sam… _You_ are the best thing to ever happen to me. When I'm with you, all the crap I've seen—everything I've ever been through—it all goes away. Every hunt, I count the minutes until I can hold you in my arms again."

Ziva wasn't sure what to say to that. But she could also see that Dean was trying to build up the courage to say something, and the pain in his eyes said that it wasn't something she wanted to hear. "Dean, don't…"

Dean shook his head with a sad smile. "Things are about to get really bad. _Really_ bad. But you, Sam, Fi, Gibbs… You don't have to worry, because I'm making arrangements for you."

"Arrangements for what?" Ziva asked, wishing she knew what was going on.

"The people I'm going to see next?" Dean said, pushing on because if he stopped, he wouldn't have the strength to do what he needed to. "They're not going to get anything from me without agreeing to a few conditions."

Ziva didn't know what to say, but she understood sacrifice. She knew that whatever Dean was about to do, he wouldn't be doing it if there was any other way. "I understand," she said, as calmly as she could, even though a part of her didn't understand at all. Reaching behind her neck, she undid the clasp on her necklace and took Dean's hand, putting the Star of David into it and closing his fingers around it.

"Ziva, I can't take this," Dean argued, not looking her in the eyes. He tried to hand the necklace back, But Ziva was firm as she pushed the hand back.

"To give you the strength to do what you need to," She insisted, waiting until Dean finally met her eyes. "And to remember me by."

Dean pocketed the Star of David before reaching up and pulling his own necklace off. Holding it out to Ziva, he said, "Hold on to this for me? Just in case I make it out of this in one piece?" When Ziva took the necklace, Dean hesitated a moment, before pulling Ziva towards him and giving her one last, long kiss.

* * *

><p>AN: My explanation as far as the Nantucket Nectar thing, I won't post the whole thing here, but if you want to know, leave a review and I'll reply.


	25. Saying Goodbye

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I freely admit that I am an evil author. I do cliffhangers and teasers hoping to catch readers and keep them wanting more.

Now in the canon episode, we never get to read the letter Dean wrote. Well, for this story I made it three separate letters.

The bulk of this chapter will be a doozy, and I hope to have the rest of season 5 done before the season 7 premiere.

A quick little aside. I'm still interested in someone who could do some sort of fan art to go with this story. (Photoshop or drawing. I'm cool with both.) But FYI, I'm totally broke. But if you are willing to help me out of the goodness of your heart, I can repay you with a one-shot story of your choosing. (Categories I know are on my profile.)

Okay! Cue the angst!

And please: read, review, and show your love!

* * *

><p><em>Point of No Return—The Letters<em>

* * *

><p><em>Sam,<em>

_I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm giving up. That I'm running away. I wish I could run away, Sammy. I wish like hell I could walk away from everything and live that apple pie life you used to want so bad. _

_And honestly, that's why I'm doing this. I'm taking my place in this showdown before Lucifer does what he's promised to and makes you his meat suit. I can fight Lucifer. I might even be able to end him one and for all._

_But I can't do it if the face Lucifer is wearing is yours._

_I know it won't save everyone, but it'll save more people than the Devil roasting the planet. _

_Don't worry about yourself, Sam. Or Bobby or Ellen and Jo or Fi. I'll make sure they're okay. _

_Speaking of Fiona… After you read this, I need you to do something, Sammy. There's an envelope at the bottom of my duffel with every last dollar I've got. Promise me you'll use it to put a ring of Fiona's finger. Then you two walk away from hunting forever. Settle down, have some kids… Name one of them after me if you're not still pissed off at me for saying 'yes'._

_I love you, Sammy. I've never really said it because I never thought it needed to be said. But you're my brother and I love you with all my heart. I wouldn't be doing this if there was any other way to protect you._

_Your big brother (aka 'Jerk'),_

_Dean Bryan Winchester_

* * *

><p><em>Bobby,<em>

_As you're reading this I'm sure the words 'you damn idjit' are coming out of your mouth with increasing intensity._

_You've been more of a father to me than my own dad and I know right now you want to wring my neck. _

_But I'm the one who started this whole thing. I broke the first seal and this is one mess I need to clean up myself._

_I hope you and Ellen are happy together and if by some miracle I make it out of this, I'm sure you two will give me an earful to no end._

_But if I don't survive this, I want you to know that this isn't your fault, Bobby. And I'm not doing this out of some twisted hero complex. I'm just trying to save my family since it keeps getting smaller and smaller these days. I've lost Mom and Dad but I will _not_ lose you, Sammy, and Fi too._

_Dean_

_P.S.: No pine box this time, okay? I want to be salted and burned. But for the love of God, don't do anything to the Impala. I promise I won't possess her if this stupid kamikaze mission goes pear-shaped._

* * *

><p><em>Dear Fiona,<em>

_I've had exactly one best friend my entire life and it's you. Well, you and Sammy. The two of you are the only people in my entire life that I've ever been able to count on. _

_I wish like hell things had been different. I wish you and Sam could have gotten married and had kids. I wish I could have been the best man at your wedding, giving an embarrassing speech about Sam crushing on you when he was just 4 years old._

_And I wish you had told me about being depressed. I can't help feeling that if I had known, maybe I could have done something more to help. _

_I love you, Fiver. And I meant what I said when we were kids. I don't think I'd have made it this long if it wasn't for you. Just like that runt of a rabbit, you've kept me going even when I honestly thought I had nothing more in me._

_Be strong, Fi. And take care of Sammy. I know he'll need you after all this is over._

_Dean_


	26. Point of No Return

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So there are a few little things I tweaked with this chapter. Like Adam's take on the whole situation. But some things I tried not to tinker with too much.

Chapter 25

* * *

><p><em>Point of No Return<em>

* * *

><p>Dean put all three letters in the box along with the old leather jacket that had belonged to his father. His favorite gun—a 1911 Colt—went in next along with the keys to the Impala.<p>

Staring down at the gun that had been his constant companion for the past 14 years, Dean realizes that he never told Sam and Fiona where it came from. He doubted his father—who gave him the gun for his 16th birthday—even knew the weapon's lineage. All John Winchester knew was that the gun was a steal at $85 at a small town gun show.

When Dean had gone back in time and met his mother before she's married John, Dean had seen the 1911 Colt set high on a bookcase in his grandparents' house.

The gun had been his mother's and Dean often felt that in some small way that it was her way of looking out for him over the years.

Pulling himself from his memories, he made sure his duffel was already crammed at the bottom, and as Dean closed the box up, he grabbed a marker and wrote Bobby's name and address on the top before taping the box up.

"Sending someone a package?" a voice said behind him.

Dean turned to see Gibbs standing there, looking expectant and ever so slightly questioning. "How'd you find me?"

"Talked to your brother," Gibbs explained. "And Abby tracked the GPS in your phone." Walking up to Dean, he studied the younger man and frowned. "Why?"

"None of your business," Dean grumbled, turning his back on his father's best friend. He turned back to Gibbs, however, when he felt the older man smack him hard on the back of the head. "What the hell was that for?"

"I can't let you do this, Dean," Gibbs said, giving Dean a long stare.

"Oh, yeah?" Dean said, in a scoffing tone. "And how are you going to stop me?" But just as the words were out of his mouth, he felt someone grab his arm and without warning, he was suddenly in Bobby's study where Sam, Fiona, Castiel, Gabriel, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo all stood, glaring at him. Looking at the person letting go of his arm, Dean groaned as he saw Anna also giving him a look. "Crap," he muttered, going to sit down on the sofa.

"I got half a mind to kick your ass right now," Fiona said, arms crossed so she wasn't tempted to start throwing punches at Dean.

"Yeah, well, go right ahead," Dean replied, standing. "I mean, come on. 8 months of turned pages and screwed pooches and _tonight_ is when the magic happens? Get real."

"You ain't helpin'," Bobby grumbled as he went to sit down at the desk, moving some of the piles of books around to look for something.

"Well, then why don't you let me get out of your hair, then?" Dean said, knowing full well that he was now under lock and key.

Leaning against the wall, Castiel glared furiously at Dean. After all the talk about free will, and the sacrifices Cas had made for the sake of helping Dean Winchester, now the hunter was going to give in to Heaven and Michael? Cas could have abandoned the Winchesters from the start. He could have refused to aid them at any time. But instead, he gave everything and had received nothing in return, making Dean's decision feel even more like a slap in the face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Bobby asked, his brow furrowed. For months, Dean had been going on and on about finding some way to beat Lucifer without saying 'yes'. So why was Dean suddenly on board with the whole plan?

"Reality happened," Dean replied, his calm giving way to frustrated anger. "Nuclear's the only option we have left. Michael can ice the Devil and save a _boatload_ of people."

"But not _all_ of them," Bobby reminded Dean. Hadn't that been one of the reasons that Dean had been refusing so long? Because a Michael/Lucifer smackdown would kill almost as many people as it would save? "We have to think of something else."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say," Dean said, wishing that the others would just let him to this. "But if Lucifer burns this mother down and I could have done something about it, guess what—that's on_ me!"_

"Well, then I'll tell you what," Fiona snapped angrily. "Let's make it a full party and I'll say 'yes' to Lucifer."

"Don't say that," Dean said, quickly. "You don't understand because you're not in my shoes."

But both Dean and Fiona turned to look at Bobby when they heard him open one of the desk drawers.

Bobby pulled out the revolver and set it down on the desk before pulling the single bullet out and setting it down next to the gun. "That's the round that I'd meant to put through my skull," he said, not looking at Ellen. "When I got out of the hospital, I'd look at it every morning and think 'Maybe today's the day I flip the lights out'." Looking at Dean, he said, "But I could never do it. You know why?" Fixing a look at Fiona and Dean, he shouted, "Because I promised _you two idjits_ that I wouldn't _give up_!"

Dean and Fiona looked abashed as they lowered their eyes. But they quickly turned to Anna and Castiel who suddenly seemed to be suffering unexpected migraines. "Something's happening," Anna said, looking at the others before she and Cas winged out.

Bobby put the revolver and bullet away—he hoped he'd made his point—and when he looked up, he was surprised that everyone else in the room had gone except for Ellen who was giving him a look. "Ellen…" he started before his fiancée—it was still strange using that word again—cut in.

"I'm not asking for an explanation, Bobby," Ellen said, quickly. And in all honesty, she didn't want to hear one. She still couldn't believe that Bobby had even considered killing himself. She went over to him and gave him a brief kiss before saying, "I'll keep an eye on Dean and Fiona."

Bobby let out a deep sigh, mentally smacking himself for what he'd said about sticking a gun in his mouth, especially in front of Ellen and Jo. But Dean talking about basically cashing in had just made him so damn angry…

"Little help?" Anna's voice said urgently from the living room.

When the others hurried in, they found the two angels depositing a dirt covered young man on the couch.

"Wait, that's Adam," Fiona said, looking at the unconscious figure. Looking at Bobby and Ellen, she added, "Sam and Dean's half-brother."

"Cas, what the Hell?" Dean asked, looking at the angel.

"Angels," Anna said, quickly as Castiel set two angelic blades on the desk, both of which were covered in blood. "They raised Adam. I imagine since he has John Winchester's blood."

"Wait a minute, what does his blood have to do with it?" Dean snapped, angrily.

"Damnit," Fiona said as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "That is freaky clever."

"What is?" Sam asked, looking at his girlfriend.

Fiona looked at Castiel who seemed to understand what she was thinking. When she got a nod in confirmation, Fi looked at Sam and Dean. "Put it this way," she said, pointing to the two. "You guys are Plan A." Gesturing to Adam, she sighed and said, "And I'd guess… Adam and I are Plan B."

"You've got to be kidding," Dean said, wondering for the umpteenth time when the world would stop throwing curveballs at him. Looking From Castiel to Anna, Dean went with the redheaded angel and said, "Okay, you and me need to talk. Cas, you need to mark the kid. If the angels are after him, let's not make it easy."

Outside and well away from the Impala—Anna didn't trust Dean not to rabbit while they were talking—Dean turned to the angel and asked, "Seriously? Adam and Fi?"

"You want it to be you and Fi?" Anna asked, calmly. "Nick isn't going to last much longer as a vessel. And trust me," she added, wryly. "You don't want to see what happens when Lucifer's vessel explodes."

Leaning against the hood of an old Ford Taurus, Dean sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. "Look, Anna… if Michael wears me to the prom, that's fine. I can deal with that. But if Lucifer takes Sam…" Straightening up, he paced as he spoke, his voice slightly choked. "I can't kill my brother. Doesn't matter what's happened or how deep Sam's in it, I can't do it."

"Not even to save the world?" Anna asked, intriguingly. There was no judgment in her voice, only curiosity.

Dean sighed again as he leaned against the Ford again, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I've had one job my whole life—look out for Sam. What kind of brother would I be if I didn't save him?"

"Maybe the only way to save Sam is to kill him," Anna offered, even though she knew it was a waste of time. "Protect him by stopping him before he does something terrible."

"Yeah," Dean admitted, quietly. But as he fixed Anna with a look, he said, "But I still couldn't live with myself if I was the one who killed him."

xx

In the house, Fiona and Adam sat down at the kitchen table, beer bottles sitting untouched before them. "So what did the angels tell you?" Fiona asked, twisting the cap off of her own bottle and taking a swig.

"That I'm the vessel for the archangel, Michael," Adam replied, opening up his own bottle. "And that I'm chosen to fight Lucifer."

"Did they tell you that I'm chosen as Lucifer's meat suit?" Fi asked, looking Adam in the eye. Setting her bottle down, she crossed her arms and leaned against the table. "I'm sure the angels have given you the full pitch. Heaven… reuniting with your mom… Do it, or the world is a goner. But let me give you the bottom line, okay?" She nodded towards Bobby and Ellen who were in the study and then said, "The people in this house are the ones who actually care about you. The angels are using you. They don't give a rat's ass about you."

Adam thought about that for a while. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew it was true. He'd had doubts when the angels told him about his destiny and about his brothers. He wanted to believe that warriors of Heaven wouldn't be so self-serving, but he had doubts. "So then why bring me back? Why even bother?" Standing up, he paced a moment before asking, "Why us?"

"You mean why are we the Plan B vessels?" Fiona queried. Leaning back in her chair, she shrugged before finishing off her beer before getting up and going towards the fridge. "Well, you're also John Winchester's son, so there's a more solidified blood connection. Me? I donated blood to Sam so he's got my blood in his veins. Plus on my end there's some twisted prophecy stuff, so…"

"So how can I help?" Adam asked, eagerly. Catching Fiona's astonished look, he pressed, "Look, Sam and Dean are my brothers, right? They're family. I've gotta do something."

"Perfect," Fi grumbled, skipping the beer and instead grabbing the bottle of bourbon she had stashed in the cupboard. "Just what the world needs: another Dean." But when she saw Adam's expression, she sighed. "Sorry. Look, Adam… The whole 'sacrifice everything for family' thing looks romantic on paper, but here's the reality."

Fi poured herself a shot and downed it in one go before pouring another. "My mother made a deal with a demon to get pregnant. Mary Winchester made a deal to save your father's life. Dean made a deal to save Sam and Sam worked with a demon bitch to try and help Dean. My dad was killed by demons because he tried to protect me." After giving Adam a few moments to let everything sink in, she sipped her second drink and said, "It'll never stop, Adam. Your best bet is to get out while you can still can."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Gibbs arrived with Tony DiNozzo and both agents didn't look happy, especially when they saw Dean and Adam.<p>

Dean stiffened when Tony led him outside and around behind the garage. "Look, if this is about Zi—" But he was cut off by a punch to the stomach. Doubling over, Dean tried to catch his breath.

"I warned you about hurting Ziva," Tony said, coldly as he watched Dean go down. "You're lucky it's me and not Abby."

Dean groaned as he managed to get to his feet, keeping his distance from the NCIS agent. "If I don't stop Lucifer, he roasts the planet—Ziva included. I was trying to save her."

If Tony wasn't looking Dean Winchester in the eye, he'd never have believed it. But there was something in the hunter's look that Tony recognized. He remembered how he'd felt about Jeanne Benoit and saw that same look with Dean. "You love her," Tony concluded.

"So what if I do?" Dean snapped. Walking around, he wished he'd said it when he last saw Ziva. But he'd been too much of a coward. Nothing good happened when Winchesters fell in love. Look at Sam's girlfriend… Or Mary…

Tony's anger ebbed and once again he was reminded of himself. "So tell her," Tony pressed. "Or doesn't it matter since you're planning on killing yourself anyway?"

Dean leaned against one of the cars and sighed. "I got nothing left, man. I'm barely holding on and if I don't do something, then we're all screwed. How am I supposed to have faith and believe when I've got nothing to believe in? Sam, Ziva, Fi… Everyone's counting on me."

Tony could recall countless times when everything was on his shoulders and he didn't have the faith in himself that he could do what he needed to do.

"DiNozzo."

Dean and Tony turned to see Gibbs walking up to them alone. Catching his boss's look, Tony headed back towards Bobby Singer's house. Dean sighed, sure he was in for another round of the 'don't give up' lecture. So he was surprised when Gibbs asked, "You're not going to do it?"

Dean gave a dry laugh. "I thought you were here to help talk me out of being Michael's Muppet."

Gibbs didn't say anything. He just watched Dean as he leaned against the rusted car.

Dean sighed and he felt tears in his eyes. "What other choice do I have, huh? It's either keep resisting and watching the world end bloody or give in and half the world still gets obliterated." A thought hit him so hard it almost literally knocked him over. But Dean wished his father was there. He needed someone to tell him the right thing to do. Someone to say something other than 'don't give up'.

"I didn't come here to talk you down, Dean," Gibbs said, calmly, giving the older Winchester the full 'Gibbs-stare'. When Dean looked at him, he added, "I came here because it's what John and James would have wanted me to do."

Dean was caught off guard by that, but he realized that Gibbs had a point. "So what do you think I should do?"

Gibbs gave the younger man a slight smile and said, "I think you need to do what _you_ think is right. I know I've made plenty of mistakes, but I think sometimes you just have to trust your gut."

Before Dean could respond to that, he turned as he heard Sam calling his name.

"Adam and Fiona are gone," Sam said, quickly.

"What?" Dean said, panic in his voice. He hoped the two weren't about to do something stupid. "When? How?"

"Cas and Anna think the angels took them," Sam replied, looking worried. "They're doing recon and Gabriel's looking as well, but we need you, Dean."

Dean wasn't sure what to say to that. But he knew that the first priority was finding Fi and Adam. "Okay," he said, wishing he could look at this as some sort of sign.

* * *

><p>In an elegantly decorated room, Fiona and Adam exchanged looks. One second they had been in Bobby's house and now they were… somewhere else.<p>

"Where the hell are we?" Adam wondered, looking at the platter of burgers and iced beers. "And what are we doing here?"

"The commonly used term—" said a smug voice. "—is 'bait'." The angel who'd appeared looked at Adam and Fiona with something approaching contempt. "You see, we don't really care about you two as Michael and Lucifer's vessels. But Sam and Dean have the world's biggest blind spot when it comes to family. So they're going to drop everything and come rescue you which will put Dean right where I want him."

Adam couldn't believe that the angel was acting so callously and he was starting to be scared. This was so very much out of his league.

But Fiona fixed Zachariah with a defiant look. "You can't kill me."

"Don't tempt me," Zachariah warned. "I'm an angel. I can do whatever I want."

But Fiona refused to be intimidated. "I've almost died how many times? And some of those times my death should have been a sure thing." Narrowing her eyes at the angel, she said, "Obviously someone wants to keep me around."

"On the other hand…" Zachariah said, shrugging. With a quick gesture, both Fiona and Adam were on the ground, coughing up blood.

* * *

><p>"They're in Van Nuys, California," Anna reported when she and Castiel returned a short while after leaving. "But there are at least half a dozen angels guarding the place, including Zachariah."<p>

"So what's the plan?" Tony asked, looking at the others. "Go in and rescue Fiona and the kid?"

"No," Castiel replied, glaring at Tony. "Sam, Anna, and I will go."

"What about me?" Dean asked, looking from Cas to his brother.

"Hand you straight to Zachariah and Michael?" Castiel sneered, angrily. "How foolish do you take me to be?"

"Right now I don't care about that," Dean promised. "All I want is to make sure Adam and Fi are safe."

Castiel looked unconvinced, but Sam nodded. "Okay," Sam said, as he grabbed his jacket. "Then let's go."

Cas didn't have the faith in Dean that Sam did. In fact, Castiel didn't have faith in anything these days. God had let him down, Dean had let him down… As the two angels and the two hunters stood outside the abandoned muffler factory, Cas withdrew a box cutter and opened up the blade as he removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. There were gasps of horror as he carved the sigil to banish an angel into his own chest, but he ignored them as he redressed. "Once I've cleared the other angels," Cas ordered, "Grab the boy and Fiona." He didn't wait for any sort of reply as he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Once Cas does his thing," Dean said, looking at Anna and Sam. "I'll go find the room. You two come in after me. Hopefully, Zachariah will be more concerned with me than the two of you."

"Dean," Sam said, suddenly not liking the look in his brother's eyes. But the sudden light coming from inside the building distracted him and when it subside, Dean went in without another word.

"How can you have so much faith in him?" Anna wondered out loud, giving Sam an astonished look.

But Sam just shrugged. "He's my brother. How can I do anything else?" After another moment or two, he took the angel blade Anna proffered and opened the door, slipping inside with the other angel on his heels.

x

Just like Dean had expected, Fiona and Adam were bait for the trap. Zachariah had shown up and before Sam had a chance, the angel had thrown him across the room before using a banishment sigil to temporarily eliminate Anna. "Thought I'd take a leaf out of your book, Dean," Zachariah said with a smug smile. "I mean, you're so fond of using that little trick."

Taking a step towards Dean, he went on. "So let's be perfectly frank, shall we?" With a single gesture, both Adam and Sam were coughing up blood along with Fiona. "There's only one right choice here. Either say 'yes'… or stay here and watch your brothers and your best friend die slow, painful deaths."

Dean looked from Fiona to Adam to Sam and he felt every last shred of resolve crumble into nothing. "Fine," he said, quietly, unable to keep the choke out of his voice. "You win, you bastard. Let them go and I'll say 'yes'."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Zachariah asked, curiously.

"Do I look like I'm lying?" Dean said, not caring that he felt on the verge of tears. All the years protecting Sam, and looking at Fiona like a big sister… But he had to protect his family. He had to do this to save them, including Adam. "Call Michael down, you son of a bitch."

"Better dial out to Lucifer, too," Fiona groaned as she somehow made it to her feet, her lower jaw covered in blood. "Because I promise you, Zachariah," she said, glaring at the angel. "You do this, saying 'yes' to Lucifer is next on my list."

But Zachariah didn't feel the least bit threatened as Fiona collapsed again. Instead, he started the summoning spell to call Michael.

Looking over at Sam, Dean could have sworn that he heard his father's voice saying, _"Trust your gut, Dean. Do the right thing."_ Looking at his little brother, Dean suddenly realized something that he'd been struggling to understand for years. He gave Sam the slightest of smiles and a wink before turning to Zachariah. "Of course, I have a few conditions."

The angel turned, and he suddenly felt a bit unnerved by the fresh look of defiance on the young hunter's face. "What?"

"There's a few people whose safety you have to guarantee before I say 'yes'," Dean went on, dropping the bravado just a bit so that he didn't tip his hand too soon.

"Sure, fine," Zachariah replied, sounding as though it was a perfectly reasonable request. "Make a list."

"But most of all," Dean said, cold fury in his voice. "Michael can't have me until he disintegrates you."

"What did you say?" Zachariah asked, again getting that unnerving sensation.

But Dean was moving towards the angel, taking note of where Sam, Fiona, and Adam were and where the angel blade was. "I said before Michael gets one piece of this sweet ass, he has to turn you into a piece of charcoal."

The angel laughed at the very idea of Michael smiting him. "You really think Michael's going to go for that?" Zachariah asked, finding the notion amusing.

But Dean kept talking as he saw Sam slowly get to his feet, grabbing the angel blade as he went. "Who's more important to him now?" Dean asked. "You? Or me?"

In the instant that Zachariah made a move for Dean, Sam plunged the blade into the angel's back, giving the sword a sharp twist for good measure.

"We gotta go!" Dean said, quickly as he helped Adam to his feet. Watching Sam and Fiona support each other, Dean quickly helped the two out of the room, but before he could go back for Adam, the door slammed shut, sealing the youngest Winchester in with Michael descending.

* * *

><p>As Dean drove the old 4-door pick-up truck Sam had hotwired, he felt stab after stab of guilt. He'd left Adam behind… He chose Sam and Fiona over his half brother. And he knew that Adam was far from okay and who knew what had happened to Castiel.<p>

But looking from Sam to Fiona who was sacked out in the backseat, Dean said, "I owe you an apology, Sammy." When Sam started to argue, Dean pressed on. "I don't know if it's being a big brother or what… But to me you've always been this snot-nosed kid I've had to keep on the straight and narrow. I think we both know that that's not you anymore. Just like Fi's not the girl that you'd pick dandelion bouquets for when you were a kid." Dean thought for a while and finally added, "Hell, if the two of you are grown up enough to find faith in me… least I can do is return the favor."

* * *

><p>Back at Bobby's, everyone else had gone to bed for the night, but Dean sat up for a while, looking at the Star of David necklace Ziva had given him.<p>

It was a strange thing, faith. It seemed to be something you found under the most extraordinary conditions and the strangest things could make it something real.

And maybe Dean's faith in God was shaky at best.

But maybe he shouldn't start with divine faith.

Maybe he just started putting his faith in his family.

* * *

><p>AN: 4 Chapters to go! And maybe a brief epilogue if y'all tell me you want one.


	27. Hammer of the Gods

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry for the short chapter and the next one which will probably be just as brief. But I promise the last two will be good and long. I've already got my notes and I'm planning some seriously heartbreaking scenes for the chapter covering 'Swan Song'.

Chapter 26

* * *

><p><em>Hammer of the Gods<em>

* * *

><p>In all the time Ash had been dead, he couldn't remember there ever being an earthquake in Heaven.<p>

He and Celeste had been sharing stories and beers when the Roadhouse had started shaking, knocking liquor bottles over and toppling chairs and tables.

Celeste seemed surprised when the shaking stopped and she and Ash were still alone.

"You expecting company?" Ash asked as he looked around, watching his Heaven instantly right itself.

"No," Celeste replied, warily, looking around. "You?" But when Ash shook his head, the angel felt even more worried. So much so that she conjured her sword and held it at the ready just in case.

"Really? Is that anyway to greet your brother?"

Celeste whirled around, raising the blade to attack but she was blocked by a second blade held by—"Gabriel?"

"Friend of yours?" Ash asked, looking from Celeste to the newest arrival.

Celeste turned to Ash and said, "Ash, this is Gabriel. The archangel." Turning to her brother, she said, "Gabriel, this is Ash."

"Love the haircut, man," Gabriel replied, sincerely, as he shook Ash's hand. "Can't find a lot of people who can pull that look off anymore."

"Thanks, man," Ash replied with a smile. "So I thought you didn't make it up here anymore?"

"Just came to steal your girlfriend," Gabriel replied, looking at Celeste. "Sam and Dean are heading for trouble and I need your help."

"Yeah, well," Celeste said, sitting at the bar and tossing back the shot that was sitting there. "I guess you missed the memo. I'm grounded."

Gabriel scoffed at that and refilled the shot glass before taking a drink. "Details, details. The world needs saving and I need you to come downstairs with me."

Celeste was still doubtful, but reaching out her grace, she was surprised when she no longer felt the bonds tying her to Heaven. Something that could only have happened if… "Zachariah's dead?" She asked.

"As a doornail," Gabriel confirmed with a cheeky smile. Gesturing to the door, he said, "Shall we?" As the two angels headed for the front door, Gabriel turned back to Ash and gave him a wink and a smirk. "Don't worry, big boy. I'll bring her home safe."

* * *

><p>The rain was torrential and it was almost impossible to see out the windshield of the Impala.<p>

Finding the hotel had been like finding an island in the middle of the ocean and while Sam was extremely vocal about not just stopping at the first available hotel, Dean and Fiona argued that if the rain got any heavier it wouldn't even be safe to drive.

Once Dean had parked, all three of them hurried to grab their bags and get inside before getting soaked to the bone. Looking around as they entered the lobby, Dean noticed that it was a lot swankier than most of the placed they'd been in. "Nice digs for once," he said aloud.

"No kidding," Fiona said, shaking her head and spattering Sam and Dean with rainwater. "Look, let's just get our rooms so I can get a hot shower and some beauty sleep."

"You're not actually turning into a girl on us, are you?" Dean said with a smirk. But Fiona's response was to smack Dean hard on the back of the head. "Guess not," he muttered, rubbing his head. "You and Gibbs really need to lay off on that headslapping stuff."

"Well, then stop doing stuff to deserve it," Fi replied.

x

Once they'd checked in, Sam and Dean went to grab a bite to eat while Fiona went to the room and took advantage of the boys being absent to take a long hot shower. But as she came out of the bathroom, she almost screamed in alarm when she saw Anna standing there. "Knock, Anna! Okay?" Fi said, wrapping her towel tighter around her body. "Knock. It's what people do, alright?"

"You're in danger," Anna went on, quickly. "You're right in the middle of a crowd of pagan gods."

Fiona paused for a moment before she rolled her eyes and grabbed the last of the clean, dry clothes she had in her bag before marching back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. A few moments later, she reemerged fully dressed and pulled on her boots before stuffing her other clothes in her bag before heading for the door. Looking over her shoulder at Anna, she asked, "You coming?"

x

Finding Sam and Dean in the hotel restaurant was a snap but when the two brothers looked up to see Fiona _and_ Anna standing next to the table, Dean let out a dry laugh. "Let me guess," he said, giving the angel a smile. "Someone wants to kill us."

"More like a dozen someones," Fi said as she sat down. Anna had flown the coop, leaving the three hunters alone to talk. "It looks like there's a convention of pagan gods in the hotel to try and come up with a solution to the whole Lucifer situation."

"Can't we just get one night when no one's trying to kill us?" Dean groaned, pushing his piece of pie away, his appetite suddenly gone.

"Gets better," Fiona said, taking Dean's plate and fork and digging in. "Anna and Gabriel are planning on crashing along with some other angel named Celeste."

Dean and Sam stiffened at the name and exchanged a questioning look. "I thought Celeste said she was on lockdown upstairs?" Sam said, confused.

"Yeah, Zachariah had her grounded," Dean confirmed. Thinking back, though, he shrugged. "Maybe when you killed him, it cut her loose. Looking at Fiona, he asked, "So what do we do now?"

* * *

><p>"I've heard of some harebrained plans," Celeste said, looking at the other two angels. "—But this is bordering on suicide."<p>

"Relax," Gabriel assured her, even though he knew she had a point. Looking at Anna and Celeste, he grinned. "Besides, I've got the perfect covers for you two."

"Really?" Anna said, crossing her arms and looking doubtful. It wasn't that she doubted Gabriel's plan, but even before he'd left Heaven, he'd always had a mischievous streak and Anna had often been the one to catch the brunt of it.

"Really," Gabriel promised. "Anna… Tonight, you'll be masquerading as the Irish Goddess, Cerrid. Always sharing wisdom and knowledge to humankind."

"And me?" Celeste asked, suddenly worried when she saw the twinkle in the archangel's eye.

"You, my dear," Gabriel said, drawing it out. "Will be starring as the Egyptian goddess of the heavens and celestial order."

"Name?" Celeste asked, knowing she was about to get screwed over. And when Gabriel told her, she repressed the urge to smack her brother.

* * *

><p>When the Winchesters were brought into the hotel's grand ballroom, they were startled to note the name tags of the gods and goddesses present. Kali, Odin, Ganesh, Baron Samedi… but also Artemis, Mercury…<p>

Dean tried to avoid Anna's eyes, but he did take note of what name she was using. But when he glanced at Celeste's name tag, he couldn't help a snort of laughter.

"Something funny?" Celeste asked, glaring at the hunter.

"No, ma'am," Dean assured her, making his expression as blank as possible. Leaning towards Sam, he whispered, "We are so screwed."

"No kidding," Fiona whispered back. Sitting on Dean's other side, she couldn't see any possible avenue of escape. These gods were either going to use them as bait or kill them.

But there was a glimmer of hope when a god wearing a name tag saying 'My name is Nut' stood to address the others. "Lucifer won't stop. And a fight between gods and angels is going to end bloody for everyone. But we don't have a choice. So let's all just agree to work together to stop Lucifer before he murders us all."

"And how exactly do you suggest we kill him?" one of the other gods asked, doubtfully.

"Simple," Anna said, withdrawing her own angel sword. Setting it on the table, she hoped Gabriel's plan would work as she said, "With this."

Kali smiled as she picked up the blade and studied it. "An archangel's blade… From the archangel Gabriel?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"So that's where it went," Gabriel said as he suddenly appeared in the room. Looking at Kali, he said, "Hate to break up the party, but Lucifer planted a spy in your midst." Grabbing the angel sword, he held it out in front of him just as Mercury appeared right in front of him. As the god dropped to the ground, dead, Gabriel turned to Sam, Dean, and Fiona. "Give us a minute, will you, guys?"

"So if he's Gabriel," Odin said, before pointing to Anna and Celeste. "—then who're you two?"

Celeste smiled at the others. "Not important." But before she could say anything else, the lights began to flicker violently. Looking at the other gods, she said, "Go. Get out of here. I'll hold them off. Gabriel, you and Anna get everyone out of the hotel." Straightening up, she withdrew her own blade. "I'll handle Lucifer."

Gabriel was about to protest, but before he could even open his mouth, Anna spoke up.

"I'll hold him off," Anna insisted. The others looked at her incredulously but only for a moment before Gabriel and Celeste hurried everyone else out of the room, giving their sister angel one last look before letting the doors close behind them.

Alone in the room, Anna thought back to her past. Before the Apocalypse… before the restoration of her grace… before her fall from Heaven.

Back when she was a little sister who worshiped her older brothers.

Michael never really seemed to take much notice of her, but Lucifer and Gabriel—the three of them were thick as thieves. As Anna watched the Winchesters and Fiona, she was often reminded of her early life in Heaven.

Before God created people.

The ballroom doors opened and Anna straightened up as she faced Lucifer.

"Anna," Lucifer said, surprised. "Not who I expected."

"Lucifer," Anna replied, pleasantly. Looking at the angel's vessel, she hoped that Lucifer didn't combust while they talked.

"So they left you behind," Lucifer mused, thoughtfully. "Typical."

"I chose to stay behind," Anna insisted. "Lucifer, I know you're angry at God. I've been angry, too. I hate that we don't get to chose what we do." Trying to stall for time, she added, "But destroying the world isn't the solution."

"You misunderstand me, Anna," Lucifer said, calmly. "This planet… It's filled with more beauty than you can ever imagine. It's humans who are destroying it."

Anna said nothing as she raised her sword. She knew she didn't stand a chance, but she wouldn't back down without putting up a fight.

* * *

><p>Two days later, in an empty field surrounded by wild roses and honeysuckle, six hunters and two angels stood around a funeral pyre atop which lay Anna's body. Dean had personally gone back to the hotel and retrieved the angel's empty vessel and after trying to find a place to lay Anna to rest, Jo had suggested this empty field.<p>

Gabriel seemed almost guilt-ridden as he looked at the pyre. He didn't say anything, but Dean knew the look well. Gabriel couldn't kill his brother and Anna had paid the price. Looking at Sam and Fiona, Dean let out a sigh and said, "You know, I've… I've had my share of family fights. And I keep looking at this as the end of the world, but…" He looked at Celeste and Gabriel and added, "I keep forgetting that for you guys this is a family thing, too." Turning his gaze to Anna, he said, "And for that, I'm sorry. Anna… Cas… You guys keep giving everything and getting nothing in return."

Sam didn't say anything as he flicked his lighter open and tossed in against the pyre, sending the wood into flames. He'd liked Anna. She'd had the youthful hopefulness he remembered having when he was a kid. And when Dean had had a panic attack last year after he and Dean had met Anna for the first time, the fallen angel had acted faster than Sam, bringing the tortured Winchester out of his distressed state.

As the fire burned, Celeste watched the curls of smoke travel upwards. She'd always had a far different existence than any of the other angels, including the archangels. Before the arrival of man, she was God's favorite daughter and helped keep the peace in Heaven. But after the fall of Lucifer and the religious wars on Earth, Celeste found herself spending less and less time in Heaven. People needed her on Earth and they seemed more receptive to her help than her fellow angels.

* * *

><p>"So what's the plan now?" Jo asked once everyone was back in the living room at Bobby's house.<p>

"Well, there is one last shot," Gabriel said after exchanging a look with Celeste. "But I gotta warn you—It's a doozy."

"More so than the Colt or an angel sword?" Dean asked, curiously.

"Killing Lucifer isn't working," Gabriel pointed out. "But maybe we can trap him."

"Trap him?" Sam repeated, frowning slightly. "How?"

Gabriel looked a bit reluctant to explain, but finally, he said, "The Cage is still down there. Little work and a _lot_ of luck… we might just be able to shove Luci's ass back in."

Dean looked surprised and even though he thought it was just another suicide mission, he figured it best to jump on board. "Great, so how do we book Lucifer a one-way ticket back to Hell?"

"The rings from the Four Horsemen," Celeste replied, darkly. "If we can get our hands on all four, then we can open the cage."

"Well, we've got War's and Famine's," Dean said with more optimism than he felt. "We just need Pestilence and Death's rings."

"Oh, is that all?" Sam said, derisively. But he knew as well as anyone else in the room that their choices were getting fewer and fewer.

Gabriel looked at the crowded room and noticed, dismally, the dour expressions on everyone's faces. "Well, if we're going to make the most of this, then I say we should all take the weekend off." He looked at each hunter in turn and finally stopped at Sam and Fiona. With a grin, he snapped his fingers and the couple vanished.

"Whoa, wait," Dean said, quickly as he stood and looked at where his brother and Fi had just been. "Where the hell did you send them?"

But Gabriel smiled and replied, "Oh, to a charming little beachfront property in the Florida Keys." Turning to Bobby and Ellen, Gabriel thought for a moment before sending the two down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. When it came to Dean and Jo, Gabriel gave the older hunter a questioning look. "What about you, Dean? Long, romantic weekend with your exotic Israeli beauty?"

But Dean looked at Jo and shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to face Ziva right now, but there was someplace he wanted to go… and he wanted Jo to go with him. "Actually… I was wondering if there was anyway you do me a really big favor?"

"Like what?" Gabriel asked, looking a bit puzzled. But when Dean whispered what he wanted in his ear, the archangel raised both eyebrows. "Wow… When you ask for a favor, you don't go light, do you?"

"Can you do it or not?" Dean wanted to know.

Gabriel thought for a moment, and then nodded, looking at Celeste. "C here can drop you off. No problem."

Jo looked confused as Dean took her hand. As Celeste put a hand on both her shoulder and Dean's, the young woman felt herself instantly transported and when she looked around, she was no longer in Bobby Singer's living room. Instead, she was in a place she'd thought she'd never see again.

The Roadhouse. It even smelled the same as the last time she'd been there.

"Man, do NOT tell me that you died _again_!" Ash said, looking at Dean. But when he saw Jo and Celeste, he was more than a bit confused.

"Hey, Ash," Jo said as she went over to her friend and gave him a hug.

"You two ain't dead, right?" Ash asked, looking from Jo to Dean.

"Just popped in for a beer," Dean replied with a smile. As he watched Ash and Jo catch up, he wished the visit could last for more than a weekend. But at the same time, he made a mental note to get Gabriel the biggest candy gift basket he could find.

* * *

><p>AN: Little explanation on Celeste and Anna's god alter egos.

Nut is an Egyptian godess who represented the heavens and helped to put the world in order. Cerrid is an Irish godess of wisdom and knowledge. 


	28. The Devil You Know

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I know, I know—again with the short chapter. But we're down to the wire and things are going to get super hairy really fast.

In this chapter, we find out that Sam's not the only one the demons have been screwing with.

* * *

><p><em>The Devil You Know<em>

* * *

><p><em>6 Years Ago<em>

Looking back on things, Fiona Brendon blamed her current situation on the 8th round of shots. She'd just stopped at Stanford to catch up with Sam and had somehow received an invitation to go to a party.

Now she, Sam, and Sam's girlfriend, Jessica, were at a tattoo parlor. Jessica had chosen just a simple rose tattoo on her left shoulder blade and Sam had went with an old protection sign he'd seen in a book some years ago.

And then it had been Fiona's turn. She hadn't wanted another military tat, nor did she want something basic. She wanted something distinctive and after a while, she had the perfect thing.

x

Morning came and while Jess and Sam had been able to write off their new body art as drunken mistakes, their tattoos were of a neutral nature.

Fiona hadn't been so lucky in that respect, but at least her tattoo of Bigwig, Fiver, and Hazel from the movie 'Watership Down' wasn't someplace where it would be constantly visible to her fellow Marines.

Meeting Jess at the local diner, Fiona felt more than a bit uneasy at talking with Sam's girlfriend. "So how long have you and Sam been dating?" Fi asked, curiously.

"8 months now," Jess replied, also feeling a bit awkward. After a while, she said, "Look, Sam's trying to make a new start, okay? And I really don't think it's a good idea for you to just waltz back into his life like this."

* * *

><p><em>Present Day<em>

The demons were getting worried. Every day Sam Winchester was being pulled away from the lure of the dark side by Fiona Brendon and it was getting harder and harder to keep the former Marine down.

Not that they haven't been trying for the past 33 years.

For a while, getting rid of Fiona by encouraging her to join the Marines had been effective. But once she had come back into the Winchester's lives, things had gotten even dicier.

The demon who still called himself Brady had decided long ago that the best way to screw with Sam—to push him towards his destiny—was to mess with those Sam cared about most.

Getting Dean to make the deal had taken almost no effort at all.

Using Ruby to get Sam's addiction to demon blood had taken a little more work, but Ruby had been patient.

But then Fiona entered the picture again.

The woman who should have died at 3 years old was still around and still making trouble.

And once Brady had been kidnapped by Crowley and Dean Winchester, he knew the trouble was just getting started.

* * *

><p>"Fi, can I ask you something?" Sam asked as he and Fiona waited in the abandoned house for Dean and Crowley to return.<p>

Taking the bottle of whiskey Sam offered, Fiona shrugged as she sat down on the dilapidated sofa. "Fire away, Sam," she replied after taking a long drink.

"Remember when Lilith possessed you?" Sam asked, thinking back.

"Yeah," Fi said, sarcastically, as she drank another shot of whiskey. "Kinda rings a bell." But after a moment, she fixed Sam with a look. "Why are you asking?"

Sam didn't meet her eyes as he took a long drink from the bottle and asked, "How did you manage to take back the wheel?"

"Why are you asking, Sam?" Fiona asked, suspiciously. But when she caught Sam's eye, she knew exactly why he was asking. "You're thinking of saying 'yes'."

"Say we get the cage open," Sam said, calmly. "Great. But then what? We just lead the devil to the edge and get him to jump in?" When Fiona didn't say anything, he pressed on. "What if we lead him to the edge… and _I_ jump in?"

For the longest time, Fiona was silent. But finally, she took the whiskey bottle from Sam and set it down on the ground before standing up bringing a fist back and socking Sam in the face as hard as she could. "You want to know how it felt to have Lilith in my head?" She said, coldly as she punched Sam again. "What it was like watching her hurt you and Dean while I just watched?" Fi backed off as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I was locked in my head, _screaming_, and you couldn't hear me! I only managed to get control back because I didn't want Lilith to kill you and Dean!"

The two fell silent, not even looking at one another until they noticed the headlights pull up to the house.

x

Downstairs, Sam and Fi found Crowley blocking their path to what had once been the dining room.

"For the record," Crowley said, "I think this is one of the worst ideas in history. I mean, Sam would be bad enough. But the two of you together…" Gesturing to the room behind him, he said, "But, go on. Go. Ruin our last best hope."

In the room, Dean had just finished tying up the demon who had a bag over his head. Looking at Fiona and Sam, Dean straightened up and fixed the pair with a pointed look.

"Dean, what's going on?" Fi asked, looking from her best friend to the demon.

"I need the two of you on mission, okay?" Dean said, calmly. "Focused."

"I don't understand," Sam said, not sure how Fiona came into all this. "What's going on?"

"I'm doing this because I trust you guys," Dean went on. He knew what he was doing was a bad idea. But this wasn't the time to be keeping secrets.

"Sam?" The demon said, voice muffled by the canvas bag over his head. "Sam, is that you?"

When Dean pulled the bag off, Sam stared in disbelief. "Brady?"

The demon smiled at Sam. "Brady hasn't been Brady in years," he said, slyly. "Not since, oh… middle of our sophomore year?"

But Fiona also recognized the demon sitting before her. He'd worn a different face, but the eyes were the same. "You were that recruiter… You son of a bitch!" She slapped him hard in the face. "You're the one who told me I'd be doing everyone—including myself—a favor if I just walked out on my family!"

"Well, you did _us_ a favor," Brady pointed out. "I mean, damn… With you still around, we never would have been able to get our claws in Sam."

"That's why you introduced me to Jess!" Sam snapped, going for his former 'friend'. He was stopped, however, by Dean and Fiona pushing him back out of the room.

But when Fi left Dean to deal with Sam, she went back into the room, pulling over another chair and sitting down on it backwards. "So how else have you screwed with my life? I mean, I can guess about Sam, but I have a feeling my joining the Marines wasn't the first time you sons of bitches started fucking with _my_ life."

"Wow," Brady said, impressed. "Beauty _and_ brains. No wonder Sam dug you so much." Shifting as much as he could, he went on. "You're right, of course. Although Jessica telling you to stay the hell away from Sam? That was all her. Funny how well she knew you after just one meeting, though, huh?"

Fiona said nothing as she studied the demon closely. Before Crowley, Sam, or Dean finished with Brady, she wanted as much information out of him as possible. "So I imagine you were behind Jess's death as well, huh? Maybe even the one who did the deed? Push Sam out of that safe, normal life he had and back into the world of everything scary?"

Brady smirked again and leaned back ever so slightly. The chick was sharp. It would be so much fun to push Fiona to the breaking point. "Sammy wasn't the only one," he said in a teasing tone. When Fiona stiffened, he laughed. "You and the Winchesters were so quick to blame Lilith for your daddy's murder."

Fiona slowly got to her feet and grabbed an old rag from a table nearby. Going behind Brady she gagged him before taking her seat in front of him again. "As much as I would love to kill you, I'm not going to, you bastard. And Sam? Boy, the way he was looking I could imagine him literally ripping you apart."

Brady wasn't sure what Fiona was up to, but he didn't like it. He couldn't hear anyone outside the room and even if he wanted to scream, he was gagged, so he wouldn't be heard anyway. His eyes widened when Fiona withdrew a knife, and held it in front of his face. He recognized the runes. The demon, Ruby, had fashioned a knife just like it centuries ago back when she'd been a witch. A knife to kill demons and a lot of other supernatural baddies.

"Hey, I'm going to check on our old pal, Sam," Fiona said with a sudden grin. Plunging the blade of the knife deep into Brady's upper leg, she smiled as the demon let out a muffled scream of pain. "Just hold onto that for a second, okay? Be right back."

Out in the foyer, Dean looked at Fiona skeptically. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

Fiona shook her head, before grabbing a small table and hurling it across the room where it broke in to a dozen pieces. When she saw Dean's worried look, she said, "_Brady_ is the one who killed Dad. Not Lilith."

Dean rubbed his face with one hand and sighed. He hated the idea of what he was about to ask Fiona to do, but knew that she might actually be able to get the information out of Brady. "Look, I… I don't know how you are about torture, but…"

Fiona's expression was dark, but she nodded. "Give me 15 minutes. I'll have him singing like a friggin' canary." Going back into the room where Brady was being held, she yanked out the knife and wiped it off on Brady's pant leg before pulling the rag from his mouth. After putting the knife away, she went to the door and closed it and wedged another chair under the door knob to insure no one came barging in. When she resumed her seat in front of Brady, she said, "Let me tell you about my experience with being possessed by Lilith." Brady rolled his eyes and looked bored, but Fi pressed on. "I was stuck in my head watching every little thing in super hi-def."

"You think this is news to me?" Brady said, derisively. "Trust me—Brady has been hollering and screaming at me ever since I took him over."

Fi smiled and nodded. "Yeah, but the funny thing is… as much as Lilith was in my head, I got to see into hers as well." Fixing the demon facing her with a look, she added, "As long as you've been in Brady… Wow. I can't imagine the things he knows about you." Getting up so as to turn the chair around, she sat back down again and crossed her arms and legs, leaning back in her chair. "Now… We need the location of Pestilence. And you are going to give it to us."

"And why would I do that?" Brady asked, as though the notion were completely laughable.

Fi uncrossed her legs and arms before leaning forward. "It's called cowardice. You demons are full of it. Lilith didn't want to die before she broke the final seal. Azazel wanted the Colt because it could kill him. And Lucifer… Well, let's just say he's afraid of going back down south. Now, we could do this whole dance and I could do the whole torture thing which I would seriously enjoy given that you murdered my father."

It was the rare human who showed no remorse at the prospect of doing violence. And when Brady looked Fiona in the eye, he knew that she was one of them. "I'm dead either way," Brady argued. "So why should I tell you anything?"

Fiona leaned back with a twisted smile on her face. "What? You don't think you'd get bonus points with your boss for handing me and the Winchesters directly over to him?"

Brady hadn't thought of that.

* * *

><p>"You're making me look bad," Crowley said as he and Fiona talked outside while Sam let off some steam by physically torturing Brady. "How'd you get Pestilence's location out of Brady?"<p>

Fiona shrugged. "Between the Marines and watching Gibbs do interrogations, I've learned that sometimes talking works better than violence. Demons shut down when you torture. So I went with conversation."

Crowley seemed to be impressed by that, but if he actually was, he didn't show it. "I think you should know that it wasn't my idea to kill your mother before the deal was up," he said, wanting to keep Fiona from killing him since he could tell from the look in her eyes that she'd considered it. But when Fiona stiffened, getting ready to stab him with her own demon-killing knife, he smiled. "Well, as fun as this has been, I've got another stop to make. Working on tracking down Death, you know."

When Crowley vanished, Fiona wondered what the demon was up to now.

* * *

><p>When Crowley appeared in Bobby Singer's house a short while later, he wasn't surprised to find three shotguns loaded with rock salt rounds aimed at him. Looking from Jo to Ellen to Bobby, he smiled. "I see you were expecting me."<p>

"What are you doing here?" Jo asked with more bravado than she felt.

"Looking out for Crowley," the demon replied. "The boys and Miss Brendon are onto ring #3. But we still need ring #4 so I'm here to help."

"You know where Death is?" Ellen asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Crowley paused for dramatic effect before shrugging carelessly. "No. Haven't the foggiest."

Bobby raised his shotgun another inch and growled, "Then get the hell off my property before I blast you so full of rock salt you crap margaritas!"

"That's a mite unfriendly," Crowley chastised. "Seeing as how I could be getting you Death's location in about the time it'd take you to reload."

"So, what?" Jo asked with a smirk. "You're just going to get chummy with some demons and hope they don't recognize you?"

Crowley smiled as he studied Joanna Beth Harvelle. The kid had spunk. It wasn't often that someone so young had that degree of bravado, but perhaps it was because Jo had grown up around hunters. "God, no," he assured her. "That could get me killed. But there is this little spell that I know. Results are 100% guaranteed."

"Then why are you snake-oiling us?" Bobby asked, suspiciously. He didn't like the way this was setting up and as Crowley explained, Bobby knew he'd been right to trust his gut. "So one of us makes a deal and you use that soul to find Death?" he reiterated.

"What do you say?" Crowley said, sounding optimistic.

"Okay," Ellen said with a smirk. "Here's our counter-offer." With that, she fired a shot at Crowley's chest, blasting him against the under-the-counter cabinets in the kitchen.

But when Crowley was back up, he focused on Bobby as he said, "Look, the facts are simple. I need the loan to get the Devil back in his stock. You need Death's ring. It's win-win and when this is over, I promise all souls have a 90 day return policy."

"Bobby…" Ellen said, warily, looking at him.

Bobby said nothing for the longest time, but finally, he lowered his shotgun.

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter-Death rolls into town, Sam, Bobby, and Castiel save the day, and Crowley gets a much-needed Gibbs head-slap. (Yes, you heard right!)


	29. Two Minutes to Midnight

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, it's almost the end. One more chapter to go with this story, and then I'll be working on the next one in the series. Still not sure about doing an epilogue, so please give me your input.

Now, I have to issue a spoiler warning for this chapter, since there are things mentioned in here from the sixth season.

* * *

><p><em>Two Minutes to Midnight<em>

* * *

><p>Part of the Winchester Family Curse was that no matter what stupid thing you did, somewhere down the line you would inevitably do something to trump that.<p>

Until now, Dean had thought that Sam's demon blood issue was the dumbest thing his little brother had ever done.

And then Sam had told him about the plan to say 'yes' to Lucifer and then jump into the Cage.

It had taken every last ounce of self-control not to slug Sam right in the face and lock him up in the panic room.

Once again, Bobby's house was packed, and more and more, the grizzled old hunter wished this whole mess could just be over so he could spend some time alone with Ellen.

Dean looked at Fiona, Bobby, Ellen, and Jo and said, "You guys knew about this? About Sam's _genius_ plan to say 'yes' to the Devil?" When everyone gave looks of confirmation, Dean gave them all a look of blindsided disbelief before he snapped, "Well, thanks for the heads-up!"

"Hey, this isn't about us," Jo snapped back, crossing her arms and leaning against one of the arms on the couch.

"You can't do this," Dean said, flatly, turning to Sam.

"That's the consensus," Sam said, shrugging.

"Alright, awesome," Dean replied, still wondering what his brother was thinking. "Then end of discussion."

Just as Dean's cell phone rang, someone knocked at the door and while Dean answered the phone call, Ellen went to get the door, looking only slightly surprised to see Gibbs, Gabriel, and Celeste standing there.

"Please tell me that you have some actual good news," Ellen said as she stepped aside to let the others in.

"Why, what's going on now?" Celeste asked as she joined Jo on the couch with Gabriel sitting on the other side.

"Sam's planning on saying 'yes' to Lucifer and jumping into the cage after we open it back up using the Horsemen's rings," Jo explained, leaning back.

"So what's the latest on your end?" Ellen asked, looking at Gibbs.

Gibbs sighed and shrugged. "Little of everything. Freak storms, weird deaths… Some idiot smuggled a koala onto a submarine, claiming the animal would protect him from harm."

"Well, it's nice to see that the world's losing its marbles," Gabriel said, sarcastically. Seeing Gibbs start towards him, he raised a hand. "Don't even try that head-slapping thing with me."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Looking at the kitchen where Sam and Dean had resumed their argument, he looked back at the others.

"Damn idjit is thinking about saying 'yes'," Bobby explained. When Gibbs gave him the silent questioning look of 'which idjit?' Bobby sighed and replied, "Sam. The plan is—Sam gives in to Lucifer and then jumps into Hell."

"And that's a plan?" Gibbs said aloud, giving the older hunter an astonished look.

"Hey, I never said it was a great plan," Bobby snapped, defensively.

"Bobby, we're heading out," Dean said, suddenly. Sam was right behind him, looking slightly worried. "Cas needs you to wire him some money. He's at a hospital. I wrote down the phone number and left it on the counter. Me and Sam are going after Pestilence."

"I'm coming with," Celeste said, quickly getting off the couch and following the boys out to the car.

Once the Winchesters were gone along with Celeste, Fiona ran a hand through her hair as she thought quickly. "Okay, assuming they can get the ring from Pestilence, we still need Death's ring."

"Oh, Bobby can help with that," Ellen said, crossing her arms and looking at the other hunter with a pointed look on her face. "Can't you, Bobby?"

Bobby looked dodgy as he looked from Ellen to Fiona. "Well…maybe."

"Bobby?" Fiona said, narrowing her eyes at the other man. "What's going on?"

"He had some help," Ellen explained, her eyes never leaving her fiancé's as she spoke. "From Crowley."

"Oh, please," Crowley said as he popped into the kitchen, not surprised when he found several guns pointed in his direction. "You give me far too much credit. I only did what any other self-serving demon would have done." Gesturing to Bobby, he said, "Go ahead. Tell them. There's no shame in it."

"Tell us what?" Gibbs said, giving the demon the full Gibbs-stare.

"Bobby here loaned out his soul towards a very good cause," Crowley explained with a smug look. "Namely, helping me find Death's location. I've nearly got him pinned down. Another two days at the most." Pulling a folded newspaper out from an inside pocket of his overcoat, he handed it to Fiona. "_This_ is the more troublesome problem at the moment."

Fiona looked at the article in question and looked up sharply. "Son of a bitch."

When Fiona didn't share, Crowley looked at the others. "Niveus Pharmaceuticals is starting nationwide distribution of their swine flu vaccine. Of course, that's the marketing. The reality is that it's actually a demonic virus."

Gibbs stiffened slightly and pulled out his cell phone, bringing up a particular phone number on the directory.

"Maybe you didn't hear me when I said that this is a _demonic_ virus," Crowley repeated, raising his voice. "Your puny team of federal agents won't be able to—"

Gibbs silenced the 'King of the Crossroads with one hard smack to the back of the head before he spoke into the phone. "McGee, need you to find out everything you can about Niveus Pharmaceuticals. Shipping schedules, distribution, everything. And then I need you, DiNozzo, and Ziva to grab your gear and get to the warehouse. Don't do anything till I get there." After getting McGee's response, Gibbs added, "It's a demon situation, McGee. Bad one."

When Gibbs hung up the phone, he found the crossroads demon glaring at him as he lightly touched the back of his head. "I never figured you for having a death wish, Gibbs."

"Don't you have something to do?" Gibbs said, coolly. "Like finding the last Horseman?"

"I'm sorry," Crowley said with a scoffing laugh. "But _you_ don't get to order _me_ around!" But before he could say anything else, he found himself staring down the barrel of a very old Colt revolver. More specifically, _The_ Colt. When Gibbs cocked the weapon, Crowley froze and cleared his throat before asking, "Where… ahem… Where did you get that?"

"Birthday present," Gibbs replied, succinctly, flicking his gaze briefly to Fiona before looking back to the demon.

"Yes… Well…" Crowley knew when to run and when to fight and he knew that—end of the world or not—if he pushed Gibbs, the Senior NCIS Agent would make good on the threat to shoot. "If you don't mind, I have some business to take care of."

* * *

><p>The silvery Cadillac pulled up along side the curb and stopped dead.<p>

It was old… but clearly well-taken care of.

The man who emerged from the vehicle had an odd air around him. It was as if everything stilled around him as he seemed to glide down the sidewalk.

People avoided the figure, giving way as he walked past, out of some unconscious knowledge that he should be given proper respect.

As a man texted on his phone, he bumped into the stranger and turned as he said, "Watch where you're going, pal." But as the man kept walking, he felt a sudden pain in his chest and fell to his knees, his heart stopping as he collapsed to the pavement.

x

Death didn't stop and didn't look back as he continued down the street. He had business here, but that didn't mean that he couldn't enjoy a few things before moving on. He'd heard that Chicago-style pizza was something to be experienced and wished to savor the dish in its birthplace before decimating the city.

* * *

><p>When Sam, Dean, and Celeste returned, they were joined by Castiel who looked like he'd been through the wringer, but seemed to have survived using himself as a banishment sigil.<p>

"So, do we have any leads on Death yet?" Dean asked, dropping the newest ring on top of Bobby's desk.

"More than that," Bobby said, looking at the two Winchesters. "We've got a situation at the Niveus distribution warehouse. Looks like the demons are launching the Croatoan virus on a national level."

"Oh, great," Dean muttered sarcastically, grabbing a drink of whiskey from the bottle on the table. "Any idea when that's supposed to hit the streets?"

"Thursday," Bobby replied. He hesitated for a moment before he added, "Crowley left a message for you." He held out a piece of paper, reluctantly. "Chicago. Death landed there this morning."

Dean slowly took the paper and nodded. "What about Niveus?"

"I'll go with Bobby and Cas," Sam assured his brother. "Take Fi with you." The 'just in case' was unspoken, but Sam knew that Dean would need back-up and facing a crowd of demons armed with the Croatoan virus was a far more dangerous mission. Besides… if Fiona was killed, Sam didn't want his brother to see him say 'yes' to Lucifer.

* * *

><p>The drive to Chicago was long and at first, there was very little conversation. Dean and Fiona took turns driving and catching up on much-needed sleep.<p>

When they finally arrived at their destination—an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city—they parked, looking around for any sign of Death, reapers, or Crowley.

"He's not in there," Crowley said, suddenly appearing in the backseat of the Impala. When he suddenly found guns pointed in his face, he went on, ignoring the murderous looks he received. "However, I do know where he is _now_," he clarified.

"Then start talking," Fi snapped.

Crowley sighed and rolled his eyes. "One of the reapers informed me that the Horseman has been camped out at a local pizzeria for the past day and a half."

Dean and Fi lowered their guns and exchanged looks before turning back to the demon. Replying in unison, they said, "A pizzeria?"

Crowley shrugged as Dean started the car again and headed back out onto the road. "Death doesn't get to experience food all that often. So when he lands in a particular spot, he likes to sample the local cuisine. I've been told he's also quite fond of Louisiana gumbo. Had his fair share before Hurricane Katrina hit."

xxx

The pizzeria was dead when Dean and Fiona entered through the back.

Quite literally, actually, since the few customers and employees were stone-cold dead, falling wherever they'd happened to be at the time of their demise.

"Dean, Fiona," said the one figure left alive. "I've been waiting for you. Join me, please. The pizza's delicious."

The two hunters sat down at the large table where the Horseman was sitting. There was an almost full pan of pizza along with a pitcher of soda and three glasses. "I have to say," Fiona said, looking at the pizza before helping herself to a slice. "Never figured you for the deep-dish type."

"The things you don't know about me could fill more books than you could read in a thousand lifetimes," Death replied, calmly, as he watched Dean take a slice of pizza and take a tentative bite. "Good, isn't it?"

"You said you were waiting for us?" Dean said, carefully, as he ate. "Why?"

Death ate in silence for a moment or two and finally, he replied, "I don't want to destroy Chicago. I've become quite fond of the pizza here." He held up his right hand, showing off the ring, and added, "I understand you want this."

"Yeah," Dean said, hesitantly.

"I'm inclined to give it to you," Death said, looking as casual as could be.

"Um…" Fiona was reluctant to ask the question, but sucking it up, she asked, "Why would you want to help us?"

But instead of being annoyed by the question, the Horseman seemed to almost smile. "I'm older and more powerful than you can imagine and yet Lucifer has me bound to him through some unseemly little spell. If I help you, then you can imprison him again." He removed the ring and held it out to Dean. But as the hunter stared at it, Death added, "There are conditions."

"Okay," Dean said, not really caring about that. "Like?"

"You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer back in his cell," Death stipulated.

Dean wasn't fazed by the condition and nodded a bit too quickly. "Of course."

"_Whatever_ it takes," Death emphasized, fixing Dean with a look. He knew that the so-called 'Team Free Will' didn't have a set plan, only a pile of half-baked ideas. Sam Winchester was the only one who could stop Lucifer and the only one who could stop Sam was his brother. "You don't have a plan—not yet. The only way you will be able to stop Lucifer is to let your brother jump right into that fiery pit."

Dean hated that Death had brought up Sam's plan. And more than that, he hated that—more and more—it was looking like the only way to stop things. But as Dean thought about it, he realized that pretending to go along with the plan for the moment was the only way to get what he needed in the short term. "Okay. Okay, yes."

"You'd better not be trying to fool me, Dean," Death warned, dropping his ring into Dean's hand. "You know you can't cheat death." After the hunter pocketed the ring, Death looked from Dean to Fiona. "Now, if you wouldn't mind… I need a private word with Miss Brendon."

"No," Dean said, quickly. "No way."

"It's okay, Dean," Fiona assured him, even though her heart was pounding. Looking at Death, she met his eyes and said, "Besides… I've got a few questions for him."

Dean didn't like the notion one bit, but nodded and got up before heading for the door.

Once Dean was gone, Death gave Fiona a rare smile and leaned back in his chair, slightly. "Let me guess. You want to know why I took your mother before her contract with the demons came due?" he asked, with a smirk.

Fiona licked her lips and pushed her half-eaten pizza away before leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. Death seemed curiously interested, particularly when Fiona said, "I want to know… what you know about me."

The Horseman raised an eyebrow and nodded. "And how far back would you like me to go?"

Fiona nodded once and thought for a moment before she asked, "Well… How is it that I keep coming back? I mean, I should have been dead loads of times, and yet… here I am."

Death pushed his own plate aside and leaned forward as well. "You know that you were never meant to survive the crash when you were a child," he began. "But that is hardly the beginning."

"The beginning?" Fi repeated, straightening up a bit.

The Horseman nodded once, slowly, and straightened as well. "It starts almost 100 years ago, on a passenger ship crossing the Atlantic. Your great-great-grandmother and her daughter weren't supposed to survive. However, they did, which altered countless bloodlines."

Fiona thought about that for a while and asked, "So… the fact that I'm not dead…?"

"I have need of you," Death replied, quickly. "You see, Fate has been trying to collect you for some time—to correct the Natural Order." Leaning forward again, he added, "But without you, things would be far worse than your friends can imagine."

Fiona thought back and realized what Death was saying. "Pamela… Ellen and Jo… They'd be dead?"

"Along with countless others that you've saved in one way or another," Death replied, nodding. "And more importantly, without you, there would be no way to save Sam."

Fiona was confused about that. "Wait, you said that Sam had to say 'yes' to Lucifer and jump in the cage."

"I did," the Horseman confirmed. "But you have the ability to save his soul—"

"What does that mean?" Fiona said, her tone frustrated. "Everyone keep saying that but no one will explain just what that _means_!"

But Death was patient… in his current occupation, he'd learned that it was an essential characteristic. "Do you fully understand what it means to be someone's soul mate?" he asked, calmly. When Fiona gave him a look of bewilderment, he smiled slightly. "I didn't think so. Most humans believe that it is a term to two people meant to be together, but that is far from the truth."

"Then what does it mean?" Fiona wanted to know. She had a feeling that for once in her life, she was finally about to get some real answers.

"To be someone's soul mate," Death explained, calmly. "—means that you cannot be whole without them. You share their very essence because their soul is intertwined with yours."

Fiona considered that for a while, and although she found the explanation somewhat cryptic, she also found that she understood. "So even if Sam is down in the Pit… if he's truly my soul mate, then…"

"Then Sam's soul would be bound to you," Death concluded, grateful that the hunter had caught on quick. "Protected from the tortures of Hell." After a moment, he changed subjects. "Now… I presume you're going to want the instruction manual for the rings."

* * *

><p>"How'd it go at Niveus?" Fiona asked as she sat on the porch steps of Bobby's house.<p>

Next to her, Sam shrugged, not sure what to say. "How'd it go with Death?"

Fiona nodded, smirking as she did so. "Touché." Looking at Sam, she asked, "Really?"

"Gibbs and Bobby planted explosives and Cas, Tony and I took care of the demons," Sam replied, succinctly.

Fiona looked down at her left hand and the Claddaugh ring pointing towards her. "Did you know that this used to be considered an Irish wedding ring?" she asked, looking at Sam. "That if two lovers wear them, their souls are joined forever?"

"Fiona…" Sam said, not even sure what he meant to say. But he felt Fi take his left hand and when he looked down, he found a ring matching hers on his ring finger. Wordlessly, he put his arms around Fi and felt her wrap her arms around his neck.

They stayed that way for a long time, and when they finally pulled away reluctantly, Sam said, "I love you."

Fiona felt tears in her eyes and she found that she couldn't say it back to him. "I know," she whispered, nodding.

xxx

By the garage, Bobby found Dean studying the Horsemen's rings at the work table. "Beer?" he said, by way of greeting, holding out a bottle.

"Thanks," Dean muttered, taking the offered bottle and looking up as Bobby sat down. "You know what my first thought is when I think about Sam?"

"What's that?" Bobby asked, curious.

Dean gave a wry laugh and sighed before he said, "My dad handing a 6-month-old Sammy to me and saying 'Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Don't look back!'" Looking down at his beer, he went on. "I was four years old, Bobby. And Dad didn't even think before trusting me to protect Sam."

Bobby didn't say anything for a while, but finally, he said, "Look, Dean… when we were at Niveus… I saw Sam pull one civilian out after another. He must have saved 10 people—never stopped, never slowed down." Looking Dean in the eye, he went on. "We're hard on him, Dean. We've always been. But in the meantime… He's been running into burning buildings since he was, what, 12?"

"Pretty much," Dean admitted. He knew what Bobby was saying. He'd been thinking about it ever since he'd walked out of that pizzeria back in Chicago. In truth, he knew that Sam wouldn't give in to Lucifer without a fight, but Dean was more afraid than he could admit.

Bobby knew how hard it was for Dean to admit that his little brother had grown, but he knew that it was even harder for Dean to step away from being the protective older brother. "Look, Sam's got a darkness in 'im. I'm not saying that he don't… But he's got a hell of a lot of good in him, too."

"I know," Dean said, looking down at the table. He was reminded of one of the schools he and Sam had been in when they were kids. It was a Catholic school, and one day, the teacher had asked each student to write a one page paper on what they considered made someone a 'good man'. Dean had written some bullshit that the teacher had swallowed, but looking back now… If Dean had to write the paper all over again, he'd have written about Sam.

"Then you _know_," Bobby pressed on. "—that Sam _will beat_ the Devil, or die tryin' That's the best we could ask for."

And there it was.

The thing that scared Dean to the depths of his soul.

That if Sam said 'yes'—win or lose—he would be gone.

Bobby knew it and he took a breath, waiting for Dean to meet his eyes before he asked the question. "So I gotta ask, Dean. What are you really afraid of? Losin'? Or losin' your brother?"


	30. Swan Song

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I finally finished season 5. And I cried. Again. Trust me, I wanted to make sure this was as emotional as possible. I hope I did alright. I also kept in Chuck's monologue as he writes the last book. (The chunks of text in italics is Chuck.)

xxxxxxx

**Gibbs:** "What's on your mind? You're awfully quiet over there, Duck."

**Ducky: **"A mute swan, actually. Believe it or not."

**Gibbs: **"I believe it."

**Ducky:** "Legend has it that _Cygnus olor_ is silent most of its life until the moment of its death when it sings only once."

'_NCIS' episode 8.23 "Swan Song"_

* * *

><p><em>Swan Song<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>On April 21<em>_st__, 1967, the 100 millionth GM vehicle rolled off the plant in Janesville—a blue 2-door Caprice. There was a big ceremony, speeches… the Lieutenant Governor even showed up._

_Three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her, but they should have. Because this 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car—in fact, the most important object—in pretty much the whole universe._

_Eventually, she ended up at Rainbow Motors—a used car lot in Lawrence—where a young Marine bought her on impulse. That is… after a little advice from a friend._

_I guess that's where this story begins._

_Shortly after the Impala fell into the possession of John Winchester, another important event occurred: the birth of James Brendon's only child—a daughter named Fiona._

_Four years later, John's wife, Mary, would give birth to the first of two sons. She named her older son Dean—after her mother, Deanna—and her second child Sam—after her father._

_Although John and James were best friends along with a third Marine, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, none of them knew that one day their children would be connected in ways no one could have ever imagined."_

* * *

><p>Walking up to the Impala, wearing his father's old leather jacket, Dean wasn't surprised to find Sam sitting on the hood of the car, his back against the window. It was, in fact, his favorite spot to sit and think—had been ever since Sam had turned 13.<p>

Seeing the beer that Sam held, Dean followed suit and dug in the cooler, pulling out a bottle for himself.

As Sam watched Dean open the beer bottle and lean against the car, he asked, "Dean? What's going on?"

"I'm in," Dean replied, simply, tossing the bottle cap onto the ground.

Sam frowned, briefly, a touch confused by his brother's statement. "In with?"

"The whole up-with-Satan thing," Dean clarified, reluctantly. "I'm on board."

Sam sat up, not sure if his brother was putting him on. But looking at his older brother's stance, Sam knew that Dean was sincere. "You're going to let me say 'yes'?" Sam repeated, still amazed by the turnabout.

"No," Dean said, thinking about what he'd come to realize earlier. "That's the thing." When he caught sight of Sam's confused expression, he went on. "It's not on me to _let_ you do anything. You're a grown—_over_grown—man… If this is what you want, I'll back your play."

"That's the last thing I thought you'd ever say," Sam admitted. Looking at Dean, he added, "Look, I know that Fiona thinks it should be her, but… But you need her more than you need me."

"Sam," Dean started to argue. But seeing the look on his brother's face, he shut up and let Sam talk.

"No, Dean, it's true," Sam pressed. "You're my brother. And nothing will ever change that. But for some reason, you've never needed me to keep going. That's what you need Fiona for."

Dean had to admit that Sam had a point. And when Sam fell silent, Dean said, "You know, the truth is… Watching out for you? It's kind of been my job, you know? More than that, it's who I am. But you're not a kid anymore, Sam. And I can't keep treating you like one." He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and withdrew the letter he'd written before. Holding it out to his brother, he said, "I meant for you to read this. I thought you should, before…"

Sam took the letter, watching his big brother walk back towards Bobby's house. He didn't read it, though. He couldn't. But as he slid off the Impala's hood, he pulled out two letters of his own and stuck them in the bottom of the glove compartment for Dean and Fiona to find when they were ready.

* * *

><p>The next few days were stressful.<p>

In an abandoned townhouse in Nebraska, Sam, Dean, Fiona, Bobby and Castiel had found two demons strung up in what had been the living room, their bodies very freshly drained of blood.

After collecting the blood in empty water jugs, Dean and Bobby looked over possible omens in the back of Bobby's van. "What do we got?" Dean asked, trying to keep his mind off of things for a moment or two.

"Best bet…?" Bobby handed over a printed out article. "20 degree temperature drop in Detroit in about a 5 block radius of downtown Motown."

"That's it," Dean confirmed, thinking of what Lucifer had said before. "Any way we can slip in unnoticed?" Glancing at the Impala, he added, "Not exactly incognito."

"Well, there's good news on that front," Bobby said with a shrug. "Turns out, we'd be getting there right in the middle of Michigan's biggest classic car show." He handed Dean a flyer advertising the Woodward Dream Cruise. "Best we can hope for."

"Yeah," Dean muttered, looking away.

* * *

><p>As they drove through the night—Cas traveling with Bobby and Fiona with Sam and Dean—it seemed like everyone was thinking about the events to come.<p>

"Look, guys…" Sam said, after a while. He didn't know how to say it, but knew that it needed to be said, "If this goes our way and I triple-Lindy into that box… you know I'm not coming back."

Dean nodded, silently, and Fiona whispered, "I know."

"So you've got to promise me something," Sam said, looking from Dean to Fiona in the backseat. "Both of you."

"Okay, yeah," Dean said, not sure what Sam was talking about. "Anything."

"You've got to promise not to try to bring me back," Sam said, firmly.

"What?" Dean said, quickly. "No, I didn't sign up for that." When Sam started to argue, Dean pressed on. "Your Hell is going to make my tour look like Graceland! You want me to just sit by and do nothin'?"

"Once the Cage is shut, you can't go poking at it, Dean," Sam insisted. "It's too risky."

"So then what do you want us to do?" Fiona snapped, irritably. She knew Sam was right, but it change the fact that the man she loved more than anything would be in Hell… forever.

"You guys go live some normal, apple pie life," Sam replied. "Dean, you go to Ziva and pray she's stupid enough to take you back. And Fi…"

"Sam, don't," Fiona begged, trying to hold back the tears.

But Sam didn't stop. "Fiona, you find someone else… someone who makes you smile, and you settle down and have a family." When neither his brother nor his girlfriend said, anything, Sam said again, "Promise me."

* * *

><p>"<em>Promises were important to the Winchesters and to Fiona. To them, a promise meant something that you could hold onto, even if things seemed to be beyond all hope.<em>

_John had promised to kill the demon responsible for murdering Mary, even if the action would do nothing to resurrect the only woman he'd ever really loved._

_And then there had been Dean, promising to do anything to save his brother—everything except killing him._

_Even Fiona swore to kill the demon responsible for killing her father and sending Dean to Hell—two separate demons, by the way._

_But some promises are easier to keep than others. And even as they promised Sam to live normal lives, Dean and Fiona knew that it was one promise they couldn't keep forever._

_As they drove through Detroit, hidden among the classic Mustangs, Chevys, Dodges, and Cadillacs cruising down Woodward Avenue, Dean wondered if this was all a big trap. If Lucifer knew about the rings… Somehow, it all seemed too easy. As though Lucifer was rolling out the red carpet._

_But when Sam, Dean, and Fiona found the Devil's hiding place and essentially gate-crashed, it didn't take them long to realize that they had been expected. They knew instantly that what planning they had done had been for nothing._

_Lucifer knew everything, and even as Sam said 'yes', Dean could see that it was all falling apart even worse than he could have ever imagined. He saw Lucifer take his brother over… Watched as Sam pretended to use the rings, only to undo the spell and vanish, leaving Dean alone in the room. And as he stood there, despair washing over him, Dean knew that it was over and they had lost."_

* * *

><p>In an abandoned theater, Lucifer could feel Sam Winchester scratching away in his mind, like rats in attic eaves. "It won't work on me, Sam," Lucifer warned, calmly. "I'm not like your typical demon." Walking up to an old, cracked mirror, he looked at the reflection of Sam as he said, "Look, I'll take the gag off, okay?" After a moment, he added, "You got me all wrong, kiddo."<p>

Sam's anger was simmering below the surface and he knew Lucifer could feel it, too. "Yeah? I could say the same to you!"

"Such anger, young Skywalker," Lucifer said with a smirk. "Believe it or not, Sam, I understand how you've felt all these years. Alone… unsure of yourself… questioning your beliefs in everything. Knowing that there is something greater for you out there but never being allowed to embrace it."

"Yeah, maybe so," Sam admitted reluctantly as he managed to worm his way into Lucifer subconscious. "But you and I are nothing alike."

Lucifer looked almost amused at that and he smiled. "Why? Because your brother refused to put you down like a dog? Because your father really loved you?" With a smirk, he added, "Because you've known real love from Fiona?"

But to Lucifer's surprise, he felt Sam's raging anger still as he said, "Because I know what's really important."

* * *

><p>Leaving Bobby and Castiel in Detroit, Dean and Fiona had wasted no time heading out towards Lawrence, Kansas, where—according to Chuck the Prophet—the final showdown was due to be held.<p>

"You're not going to tell me that this plan is suicidally reckless?" Dean said, glancing at Fi who was in the passenger seat.

"I figure you already knew that," Fi replied with a sigh. "But it's all we've got." Looking out the windshield, she added, "Sam's in there somewhere, Dean." She looked over at him and spoke with more confidence than she felt. "We just have to reach him."

"Yeah," Dean said, knowing with almost 100% certainty that he and Fiona were going to meet their deaths. But it didn't matter. They couldn't leave Sam alone. Whether they managed to get through to him or watched Michael kill him, all that mattered was that in the end, Dean, Sam, and Fi were together.

* * *

><p>"<em>In between jobs, Sam and Dean would sometimes get a day—maybe a week, if they were lucky.<em>

_Before being reunited with Fiona, they'd pass the time lining their pockets with money won either from poker games or by hustling pool._

_Once Fiona had joined them, the trio sometimes spent their free time acting like old friends do. They'd go to a baseball game or just spend a few days in a small town doing nothing at all. _

_After Lucifer had been freed, the time in between jobs and chasing down dead ends was spent in Washington, DC, in Fiona's old townhouse. Fiona would use the downtime to work with her physical therapists and Dean would spend almost every possible moment with Ziva David, a former Israeli Mossad officer and now a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service._

_Neither Dean nor Ziva could really say how they found themselves together except that they feel like two separate pieces finally made whole._

_At night, when they were out on the road, Sam and Dean liked to sit on the hood of the Impala and watched the stars for hours, without saying a word. Fiona liked to use these moments to sleep in the Impala's backseat._

_The boys never thought about the fact that they'd never really had a roof and four walls because as long as they had each other and the Impala, they were never, in fact, homeless."_

* * *

><p>"This is, quite possibly, the most foolish thing we've ever done," Castiel said as he and Bobby headed towards Lawrence, only minutes behind Dean and Fi.<p>

"Yep, probably is," Bobby replied without looking at the powerless angel. He'd considered calling Ellen, but he didn't want to think about what she'd say. Or worse, she'd end up showing up just in time to see him get killed. "I'll tell you one thing, though," he added, resolvedly.

"What's that?" Cas asked, looking slightly puzzled.

Bobby finally glanced at Cas and said, "Whatever those idjits are up to, they're not going to do it alone."

* * *

><p>Stull Cemetery was as quiet as, well, a graveyard when Lucifer appeared. He looked around, waiting…<p>

Hearing the sound of wings behind him, he turned and was surprised to see that Michael wasn't alone. "Celeste," Lucifer said, eyebrows raised. "How long has it been?"

"Too long," Celeste admitted, sadly, as she looked from one brother to another. "You know I can't stop thinking about something Dean said." When Michael and Lucifer both glared at her for bringing up the name of the older Winchester son, she ignored it and went on. "You two are brothers. Family. And no matter what you've done to one another, you still love each other."

"He betrayed me!" Lucifer shouted, angrily. "He sided with Dad over me!"

"You betrayed us first!" Adam retorted.

"I don't care!" Celeste snapped, reaching up and head-slapping the other two angels. "Now Dad created me to help keep the celestial order," she said, irritably, putting her hands on her hips. After a moment, she sighed and lowered her head, silently praying for help. When she looked up again, she glanced first at Lucifer and then at Michael as she said, said, "I've lost too many brothers and sisters to this war. Don't make me lose both of you as well."

For a few moments, both Michael and Lucifer seemed to consider their sister's words. They knew that in all likelihood, both of them would be destroyed in the ensuing battle. And for a while, they each considered walking off the field—reclaiming their standing as brothers and equals.

But Michael had followed orders for too long and whatever independence he might have had had dwindled over the ages. Looking regretfully at Celeste, he shook his head. "I'm sorry." Turning to his brother, he added, "But I have to do this. I don't have a choice."

Lucifer also gave Celeste an apologetic look before turning to Michael, pain and anger in his eyes. "I'm sorry, too, brother."

But before either angel could make a move, they were interrupted by the sound of a car engine and Lucifer felt Sam suddenly fighting him harder than before. It was as if the younger Winchester believed that his brother was there to save him.

But just as Lucifer managed to get a hold on Sam again, the fight ramped up as a song started blaring from the car's speakers.

"_Lonely is the night when you find yourself alone  
>Your demons come to light and your mind is not your own<br>Lonely is the night when there's no one left to call  
>You feel the time is right-say the writing's on the wall<em>

"_It's a high time to fight when the walls are closin' in  
>Call it what you like-it's time you got to win<br>Lonely, lonely, lonely-your spirit's sinkin' down  
>You find you're not the only stranger in this town"<em>

It was Sam's favorite song and Lucifer found himself fighting tooth and nail to keep his vessel under control—to keep Sam from taking over.

As the Impala rumbled to a stop and Fiona and Dean got out, Celeste looked both scared and relieved as she walked over and stood in front of the car.

"Howdy, boys," Dean said as he leaned on the open car door, the music still playing. Looking from Lucifer to Michael, he faked ignorance as he said, "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" As he walked around the front of the car, catching a cautionary look from Celeste, he said, "We gotta talk."

"Dean," Lucifer said, making sure to keep a tight reign on Sam as he spoke. "Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid."

"Not talking to you, he's talking to Sam," Fiona said, hoping that somehow she could reach Sam.

"You're no longer the vessel, Dean," Michael said, annoyed by the interruption. "You got no right to be here."

Looking at his youngest brother—to Dean, the 'half' part was only a formality—Dean said, "Adam, if you're in there somewhere, I am so sorry."

"Adam isn't home right now," Michael said, still pissed.

"Well, then you're next on my list, buttercup," Dean replied, turning his attention to Lucifer. "But right now I need 5 minutes with him."

"You little maggot!" Michael said, starting towards Dean.

Celeste started to get in between Michael and Dean, but suddenly leapt back when she heard someone shout, "Hey, assbutt!"

A holy-fire Molotov hit Michael square in the chest and in mere seconds, he was gone. Celeste turned to see Castiel and Bobby standing there.

In unison, Celeste, Fiona, and Dean looked at Cas and said incredulously, "'Assbutt'?"

"He'll be back—and upset—but you've got your five minutes," Castiel replied, breathlessly.

"Castiel," Lucifer said, every line on his face etched with cold fury. "Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?"

"Uh… no…" Cas stammered, backing away, suddenly very, very afraid for his life.

"_Nobody_ dicks with Michael but _me_," Lucifer said with a quiet anger. Snapping his fingers, he watched as Castiel exploded, spattering Bobby Singer with blood. With a second gesture, he snapped Bobby's neck and enjoyed the screams from Sam as he watched himself kill the only father he'd ever really known. _"How does it feel, Sammy?"_ Lucifer asked Sam. _"To know that both your fathers are dead because of you?"_

"Sammy, are you in there? Can you hear me?" Dean asked, tentatively.

Lucifer said nothing at first, just turned to Fiona and Dean, both of whom looked suddenly very afraid. But before he dealt with them, he had to take care of someone else first. Turning to Celeste, he smiled as he saw that she was gone. Well… at least one of them had shown some brains. "You know," he said, going back to Dean and Fi. "I tried to be nice for Sammy's sake." Grabbing Dean by the lapels, he threw him onto the hood of the Impala, smashing the windshield. "But you are such a pain in my ass."

Dean groaned as he watched Lucifer advance on him. "Sam, listen to me."

"Sam's not here right now," Lucifer replied, coldly. "But feel free to leave a message." Looking to Fiona, he smirked. "Now, you… If I kill you, that would put poor Sammy over the edge." Holding out a hand towards Fiona, he went on. "But I know what would hurt him even more." With that, he flicked his wrist slightly.

Fiona cried out as she felt her lower spine crack. Her legs suddenly went numb and gave out, causing her to fall to the ground.

"Sam, don't do this," Dean said as Lucifer started in on him, beating him bloody. "Sammy, I'm here. I'm here. It's okay." When Dean felt the next punch, he tried again to reach his brother. "I'm not gonna leave you."

But at Lucifer pulled back a fist for yet another punch, the faintest ray of sun reflected off of the silvery trim around the Impala's window. He squinted against the sudden brightness and his eye was drawn to something inside the car… something tucked away in the ashtray on the rear driver's side door.

A small, plastic army man… A simple child's toy.

For a second, Lucifer wondered why something like that would be there. And then he was flooded with memories of Sam's childhood.

Of cramming the toy in the ashtray…

Of Dean putting Legos in the car's heating vests…

Of Sam and Dean carving their initials into the underside of the seats of the Impala…

The storm of memories grew stronger and stronger and Lucifer saw more and more of Sam's life, rapidly becoming overwhelmed and losing his control on Sam.

And finally, Lucifer had one last image of Sam, Dean, and Fiona, lying together in the same bed, asleep, before Sam jerked the reigns out of Lucifer's grip.

"It's okay, Dean," Sam assured his brother, "It's okay. I've got him."

Dean couldn't say anything as he watched with his one good eye—his left was swollen shut—as Sam tossed the Horsemen's rings onto the ground and speak the incantation to open the cage. Sitting in the ground where Lucifer had dropped him, he wasn't even aware of Fiona making her way towards him until he felt her grab his left arm.

"Sam," Fiona said, as the wind blew around them. She knew it was her last chance to say it, and pulling herself up as best she could, she said, "I love you."

Sam paused for only a moment. He wanted to say it back to Fi, but knew that if he did, then he'd never be able to jump into the cage. But thinking of Fiona's favorite 'Star Wars' scene, he gave her a smile and nodded. "I know."

But just as Sam prepared to fall, Michael appeared next to him. But as the archangel tried to pull Sam from the edge, he found himself falling as well.

As both Sam and Adam went over, there was a blinding light and when Fiona and Dean could look again, the two were gone and the hole that had been there was gone as well.

It was nearly an hour before Dean and Fiona finally managed to pull themselves out of their numb grief. But even then, they just sat there, leaning against the Impala, mourning the loss of Sam.

xx

For Dean, it felt like part of him had been ripped away. He didn't know who he was without his brother.

Beside Dean, Fiona felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. All the things she'd hoped for as she and Sam had begun to get serious were gone.

Looking up as he heard the sound of multiple sets of wings, Dean saw Castiel, Celeste, and Gabriel standing in the empty spot where the cage had opened up. "Cas?" Dean said, his voice hoarse and muffled by the fractures to his jaw caused by Lucifer's assault. "You're alive?"

Castiel walked over to Dean and touched two fingers to the hunter's forehead, healing his injuries. "I'm better than that," he replied, quietly.

As Dean slowly got to his feet, he watched Celeste go over to Bobby and after a moment, the older hunter awoke and also got to his feet. Looking from Celeste to Castiel, Dean asked, "Cas, are you God?"

Smiling politely, Cas shook his head. "It's a nice compliment, but no. Although I do believe he brought me back. New and improved." But as he reached down to heal Fiona, he was surprised when she leaned away from his touch.

"Don't," Fi whispered, still staring at the spot where Sam had fallen. "It should have been me," she said, softly, tears falling down her cheeks.

Dean wasn't sure what to do, and he knew even less about what to say.

"I'll take care of her," Gabriel said, going over to Fiona and zapping both of them away from the cemetery.

Dean noticed that Cas had gone over to join Bobby and that for some reason Celeste looked like she'd come out worst in a bar fight. "You okay?" he asked, her, trying to think of anything other than his brother.

"Been better," Celeste admitted. "Dean, I'm sorry I didn't stay. I didn't leave intentionally."

"It's okay," Dean muttered. Rubbing his face with one hand, he asked, "So what are you and Cas going to do now?"

"Return to Heaven," Celeste replied with a shrug. "Heaven's without a leader, so someone's gotta keep things under control." After a while, she asked, "What about you?"

As Dean thought, he heard Sam's voice in his head. _"You go live some normal, apple pie life. You go to Ziva and pray she's stupid enough to take you back."_ As much as it hurt, Dean knew that he didn't have any other place to go. But glancing over at Bobby he knew he should say good-bye first.

* * *

><p><em>As soon as Dean and Bobby got back to Sioux Falls, they met Ellen and Jo at a local courthouse where Bobby and Ellen were married by a local judge who owed Bobby a favor.<em>

_As he drove away, Dean knew it was the last he'd see of the Singers for a very long time._

_He hadn't asked for Cas to save him… he hadn't even _wanted _to be saved. He wanted his brother back… he wanted things to be the way they used to be. He needed something—anything—to hold on to._

_It was that desire that led him to an old brick and stone townhouse in Washington, DC._

* * *

><p>The rain had moved through only half an hour ago and the roads were still wet as Dean pulled into the driveway of the townhouse, parking and turning off the engine of the Impala. He thought about the first time he'd come here with Sam and he felt his heart break all over again.<p>

Sam was gone… forever.

It was too much to deal with.

Looking at the front door, Dean slowly got out of the car and made his way up to the door, the short distance feeling more like miles. He knocked lightly once before sniffling back the tears and sadness that threatened to overwhelm him. Not for the first time he thought about just turning and walking away.

Instead, Dean rubbed his face with one hand and knocked again, more resolved this time. When Ziva opened the door, he just stared at her, wanting to say a thousand apologies.

Instead, Dean looked into Ziva's eyes and said the words that he'd never spoken to another woman since he was 4 years old. "I love you, Ziva."

Ziva pulled Dean towards her, her arms wrapping around him, holding him close and she felt his body shake with silent sobs. She knew that no words of comfort would help right now, but she still murmured soothing reassurances as the two stood in the open doorway, Dean holding onto her like she was the last thing on earth.

It was a while before Dean felt that he could let go without falling apart. And when Ziva finally led him inside, he mentally breathed the words that had eluded him for almost his entire life.

He was home.

* * *

><p>"<em>So what's it all add up to?<em>

_It's hard to say—but me? I'd say this _was_ a test. For Sam, Dean, and Fiona._

_And I think they did alright. Up against good, evil…angels, devils… destiny… and God himself._

_They made their own choice. They chose family._

_And, well… isn't that kinda the whole point?_

_No doubt—endings are hard. But then again, nothing ever really ends, does it?"_


	31. Epilogue

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Just a tiny epilogue showing what happened to Dean and Fiona after the last chapter. I'm not including Sam because we all know what happened to him.

* * *

><p><em>Epilogue<em>

In Jethro Gibbs' guest room, Gabriel stood guard over Fiona who had fallen into a deep, yet restless, sleep shortly after arriving. Lying on her side on the bed, Fiona's face was wet with tears and she hugged one of the pillows tightly, no doubt as a poor substitute for Sam.

Stepping out of the room for just a moment, Gabriel jumped when Gibbs seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Jeez! Wear a bell or something, will you?" Gabriel admonished, being careful to keep his voice down.

"How is she?" Gibbs asked, nodding at the closed door.

Gabriel frowned slightly as he pointed to the door, "How did you know I was…?" But seeing Gibbs' look, he lowered his hand and said, "How about we discuss this downstairs?"

In the basement, Gabriel accepted a glass jar of bourbon from Gibbs before sitting on a sawhorse. "I take it you know what happened?" the trickster asked, with a raised eyebrow. Catching the NCIS agent's eye, Gabriel noticed something that he hadn't before. It was a glimmer that he hadn't seen in ages. Not since… "Of course, you knew."

Gibbs said nothing, just sipped his own drink. After a while, he said, "So… You going to stick around for a while? Keep an eye on her?"

Gabriel set his drink down and after a moment, looked Gibbs in the eye. "I love Fiona. I know full well the dangers of getting involved personally with humans and I still love her. I'm not going anywhere," he promised.

Gibbs just nodded and sipped his drink.

* * *

><p>The first night Dean spent with Ziva after losing Sam, she got him comfortable in their bed before laying down next to him until he fell in to a weary sleep. She knew how it felt to watch your family die. First her sister and then her brother… And she also knew they there was no way for her to make things better. Even if she could somehow speed up time, the pain would stay with Dean for the rest of his life.<p>

Ziva thought of Fiona as well. Dean had said that Fiona was paralyzed again, and that Fi had refused to let Castiel or Celeste heal her. No doubt Fiona felt that the physical disability would be easier to deal with than the pain of losing someone she loved so deeply.

Dean started muttering in his sleep, tossing about as he started falling into the hands of a nightmare.

Ziva rubbed his back, talking softly as she tried to soothe Dean back into slumber.

An hour passed and finally Dean calmed, falling back into a deep sleep.

Ziva wanted to get some sleep herself, but stayed awake, knowing that this would be only the start of Dean's bad nights.


End file.
